Isaac's Story
by cassiejennahermione
Summary: A novelization of the first game...with my own little twists. Isaac's POV. R&R! Some light Valeshipping and Steamshipping.
1. The Storm

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun...

A/N: This is not going to be exact quotes; but I am sitting here with my SP on, replaying it so I can get everything important.

I have recently edited this chapter AGAIN. I hope everyone enjoys the changes. I am working on the Descriptions of Doom! cackles evilly as lightning flashing

"Isaac, wake up! Dear, please wake up!"

I blinked my eyes drowsily. What was happening?

"The Mt. Aleph Boulder is falling!"

I rolled around, trying to wake up. What was she talking about, anyway?

"We have to go now! Isaac! Get up!"

I hopped out of bed, still half-asleep. She wasn't making any sense.

"Isaac, your tunic!"

My mother, Dora, retrieved it and walked to the edge of the stairs. She was a brisk woman of medium height, her reddish hair tied sensibly into a ponytail. I followed, still bleary-eyed.

"Do you have everything?" Mother questioned, turning her head.

Glancing around, I knew I didn't. But there was no time. I looked hopelessly at my unmade bed, at my trunk of mementos.

Mother read the look on my face.

"A lost item can be replaced; a lost life cannot." she reminded me gently.

I nodded unhappily. I knew she was right, but that didn't make leaving my stuff behind any easier.

Downstairs, my father, Kyle, entered the room from the door leading outside. His light brown hair actually lay flat, unlike mine, and his dark eyes were wide.

"Isaac, Dora, hurry! It could fall any second!" Father warned.

Outside in the fierce storm, my parents decided that Mother had to help evacuate. She asked me if I could find my way to the Plaza. I nodded confidently. I'd been walking all over Vale since I was eight, the age that all children were allowed to wander at. Mt. Aleph, I'd been walking to Garet's house for longer.

I carefully approached the steps leading down to the plaza. A boulder, about the size of my body, fell, blocking the way. Sighing, I started going around. When I reached the steps, it happened again. It was starting to annoy me. I wished my Psynergy was stronger-since I'm an Venus Adept I ought to be able to move the rocks. But I was only thirteen, and Father refused to teach me Psynergy yet. He had declared that it was "dangerous" to learn it before I was fifteen. I rolled my eyes. What was so dangerous about the Psynergy that I couldn't handle yet? I'd already learned how to use a sword-surely mental powers couldn't be more "dangerous" than physical?

I made it over to one of my two best friends, red-headed Garet, who was trying to haul a large trunk that was much too big for even both of us to carry.

I rolled my eyes and shouted over the storm, "Garet! The Boulder could fall anytime! Don't bother with your stuff!"

"What?" Garet called back. "I can't hear you over the storm!"  
"Garet!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "Leave your stuff!"

Garet looked confused. "You want me to dump my stuff?"  
I rolled my eyes again. Garet's one of my best friends, but he's not the sharpest sword in the weapon shop. "Yes! Leave it! Unless you _want_ to get crushed by the Boulder!"

"I guess you're right." he agreed finally. "Where are you going?"  
"Down to the Plaza." I answered.

"I'll come with you," he decided, dropping the cord.

We walked along the bridge in the fierce rain. And then I heard one of the scariest sounds I would ever hear in my life.

The sound of the Boulder falling. A crashing noise, barely contained.

A man's voice cried out, "The Boulder!"

I turned my head to find the source of the sound. I could see two healers and two elders struggling to hold up the gigantic boulder with their Venus Psynergy.

"It's too heavy!" cried a healer in despair. "We can't hold it for long!"

"But if our Psynergy runs out, Vale will be destroyed!" exclaimed another.

"We have to hold on until the villagers are safe!" agreed an elder.

The elder who had first spoken turned, and saw us. Glancing at the elder's face, I saw that it was Elder Yates, a close friend of the mayor.

"Hurry, boys!" Elder Yates called urgently. "Run!"

I exchanged a look with Garet, and simultaneously we reached the same conclusion.

We ran.

I don't know how long we ran for our lives, dodging smaller boulders as they blocked our path. We ended up going around near the gate that led to the exploring cave where my friends and I had explored for several years. A boulder had fallen onto the fence, smashing the gate, and a man lay, seemingly unconscious, near it. His brown hair was strewn across his closed eyes.

We were about to run on when I heard a weak voice call, "Help..."

I turned. The only person who could have made that noise was the man. "Monsters...everywhere." he moaned. "I'm hurt pretty badly. Do you think I'll...do you think I'll _die_?"

"No," I answered, glancing at the man. He had no apparent wounds except for a slight scratch on his tanned cheek. "In fact, why don't you get up?"

He sat up, and then raised himself to his feet. He checked over himself. "I don't seem to be hurt at all! But...boys, look out for the monsters, all right?"

We nodded and began running again.

Suddenly, Garet stopped, crying out. I paused and ran back.

A large, fat mouse with a stolen fork had prodded him with the utensil. I swiped at the mouse with my machete that I used for cutting logs for the fire.

It dodged the attack and gave an infuriating laugh. I gave Garet a strange look. I didn't know mice could laugh.

The mouse tried to stab me with the eating utensil, but I was too quick for it. I raised my foot just in time to squash it underneath.

"Please, please, let me go!" it squeaked. I refused to free it and pressed my foot down harder. The mouse let out a cry of pain.

"Look, set me free and I promise I won't attack humans again!" it promised. "I promise by...by...by Mt. Aleph!"  
I shrugged. "Fine." I raised my foot and set the creature free. It scurried off in the opposite direction.

We continued on, running as fast as the continuous monsters would allow us. After the talking mouse we met a bat, and then two walking _blue_ mushrooms.

I stopped for a short break, leaning against a hill. Garet was breathing hard.

"Um, Isaac, how do you put those herbs on, again?" he wondered.

"Oh, come on, Garet, Jenna's mother just taught us yesterday!" I exclaimed. "You forgot already?"

Garet looked sheepish. "Just tell me, okay?"

I heaved a sigh. "You flatten the herbs like _this_," I demonstrated, "and then you mix it with water from the canteen," I poured some fresh water onto the herbs, "and then you mix it with your fingers." I carefully applied my paste onto Garet's wounds.

"Oh, okay. Thanks." he replied.

We took off running again.

Finally, as we were racing down the long steps, I heard Jenna, my other best friend, shout, "Felix!"

From the edge of the steps, we could see Mother, Father, and Jenna and Felix's parents clustered on the dock. When we moved closer, I could see Jenna, too, a look of worry on her face, her auburn hair in a messy ponytail. She was almost on her knees, trying to reach her older brother.

"Hang on, Felix!" Father said urgently.

Mother comforted Jenna. "He'll be all right. We'll save him somehow."

At that moment, Felix lost his clutch on the wood and sank into the water.

"No! Felix!" Jenna cried, barely holding back tears in her amber eyes, a very rare way to see Jenna.

Her older brother reappeared in the water, bobbing up and down.

Father looked worried, saying, "The rope won't reach! We need Psynergy! Does anyone have any left?"

Jenna's father shook his head. "I've used all mine up."

Mother, her face lighting up, decided, "We have to get help."

Father didn't look convinced. "Do we have enough time?"

"We have to," declared Mother.

"Then...go get help, but be as quick as possible!" decided Father.

Jenna's father turned to her. "Jenna, can you go, too?"

"You'll go find help, right?" agreed her mother.

Jenna nodded solemnly. "Yes, ma'am."  
"Your brother's counting on you, Jenna." Mother said kindly.

"Yes, ma'am." repeated Jenna.

"Then, let's get going! I'll go north, and you go south, how does that sound?" Mother asked.

"Fine, ma'am." answered Jenna politely.

Mother came towards us. "Isaac!"

I turned immediately. I recognized that tone of voice.

"You saw what happened?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes, we saw how Felix is in the river. We were just going to go help Jenna."  
"We were?" asked Garet in confusion. "Oh! Yeah, we were!"

"All right, then. Just be careful." she advised, dashing up the steps.

We followed Jenna's path southward. When we reached the Plaza, we didn't find anybody with enough Psynergy and Jenna was talking to Garets' grandfather and a couple of other men.

The elder sent the two other men to aid the people preventing the boulder from reaching Vale.

After the men left, Garet and I stepped up.

"Um, we came to see if there was anyone with Psynergy left to help Felix." I said nervously.

The elder nodded. "Jenna told me about Felix. You are good boys. Jenna could use a hand."  
"Great!" exclaimed a deep voice. "I'm all charged up!"

I turned instantly to see Tavish, a close friend of Father's. He grinned at us. "Thanks to the Psynergy Stone, I'm fully charged! I'll help save Felix!"

Jenna said sincerely, "Thank you, Isaac. If you hadn't been here, then maybe Tavish wouldn't have heard us talking."

I smiled at the praise while Garet protested, "What about me?"

On the way returning to Felix, we stopped at the bridge. Jenna, leaning over and watching her elder brother, shouted, "We're back!"

Mother asked, "Is that you, Jenna?"

Jenna answered, "Yes, ma'am."

"Any luck? I didn't find anyone."  
As an answer, the man stepped forward.

"Just in time." Mother answered happily as we gingerly stepped down from the bridge.

I heard a rumbling noise. I felt the earth under me shake. The Boulder...

The Boulder crashed down. I stood, rooted to the spot, unbelieving my eyes. It couldn't...

The Boulder slid down the river, hitting the dock. Impossible...Father...Felix...Jenna's parents...Jenna! Garet?

I started running. Father...impossible...must get help...What had happened barely registered with my mind.

As I slowed, I heard a mysterious man's voice from above me. "Only the two of us survived..."

Glancing upward, I saw them. A man and a woman. The man was dressed in blue, the woman in red.

"How could we have guessed the Sanctum would release such a storm?" the blonde woman spat.

"It's a miracle even we were spared." the blue-haired man agreed.

"That switch...it was a trap." the woman decided.

The man, spreading his arms wide to indicate the storm, replied, "But to think it could conjure up such a magnificent storm!"

"Another demonstration of the powers of Alchemy."

"We must not fail next time we challenge Sol Sanctum."

"Next time..."

Garet, panting from the effort, caught up to me. "Wait, Isaac!"

The mysterious people came to the edge of their ledge. "You were spying on us right now, weren't you?" challenged the blue man.

I shook my head vigorously, trying to look innocent. Sol Sanctum? Alchemy? What had they been doing?

Garet, glancing at them, said, "Isaac, they look...scary..."

The woman said viciously, "You must forget everything you heard. Don't worry, we can make it easy for you."

Jumping down from the ledge, they challenged us.

I tried to fight, but with a machete and no Psynergy, it was like trying to fight Poseidon with a wet noodle. They made quick work of us, and the last thing I thought of before I lost consciousness was Father...


	2. Forging

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun. Obviously.

A/N: I recently edited this chapter again.

I was up on the roof, mending it with Psynergy.

Mother called up, "Isaac! Haven't you finished yet?"

I shook my head. "I'm almost done, though." I replied.

"OK! Keep at it!" she shouted.

I heard a warm laugh. Jenna for sure. Garet said something I couldn't hear. She laughed again.

Three left.

I could still hear Jenna and Garet talking. I hoped they'd hurry up. At this rate I'd be done and Mother'd be up here with _another_ job for me, or, worse, one of her "talks".

Slowly, but not suspiciously slowly, I used Move for the remaining few straw pieces. I gulped. "I'm done!"

"Good job, Isaac." said Mother approvingly.

She climbed up the ladder onto the roof and paced around, checking for weak spots.

"All right, you're done. You're very reliable, Isaac...just like Kyle was." Her voice cracked when she said Father's name. I tried not to look too upset, but there's no fooling Mother. Sometimes she reminds me of the mind-reading Adepts Kraden taught Jenna, Garet, and me about.

"What is it? Do you still think about the accident?" she demanded.

I shook my head. If I said yes, then she would start to talk about it even more, I figured.

"I don't believe you..." she said firmly.

Walking over to the edge she scolded, "You and Garet have been working too hard studying Psynergy. Do you think things would be different if you had stronger Psynergy?"

"Yes," I answered truthfully, hoping that she'd be quiet.

"I was devastated when Kyle died..." Oh no, I thought, she's bringing up that subject again!

"I felt all alone..." Like Jenna. She acts very brave, but I know she'll never be the same. Losing her parents and her brother...I was very upset, because not only did I lose a parent, for a time I lost my very best friend, even closer to me than Garet. I shook my head, shaking the thoughts of the female Mars Adept from my mind.

"It's taken some time, but I'm better now." Mother continued. "I still have you, Isaac."

I frowned. She was making me kind of nervous. I hoped Mother wasn't expecting me to stay here and do more chores. I'd already been up since dawn, doing everything from cutting firewood to my most recent job, mending the roof. And it was all so that she'd let me go to Kraden's.

"You're almost seventeen. You're so much like Kyle was when he was your age." What was with her and that subject? It's been three years and now she just can't stop talking about it! Doesn't she see it's bothering me?

"MA'AAAAAAAAM!!!" called Jenna. Thank goodness for Jenna, I thought. Then I blushed slightly. Had she been here the whole time? Had she heard our conversation?

Jenna climbed the ladder limberly, a wide grin on her face.

"Hello, Jenna." said Mother calmly.

"Good morning," replied Jenna, winking at me secretively. I knew what that wink meant-Jenna was excited about going to Mt. Aleph.

Garet took that moment to clamber up the ladder clumsily. He shook his flames of red hair as he reached the roof.

"Well, if it isn't Garet too!" exclaimed Mother.

"Good morning, ma'am," Garet greeted, grinning. He sent a wink towards me, too. I gave a slight one back, hoping that my friend wouldn't be too obvious about our little secret.

"Where do you all plan to go today?" Mother asked, suddenly suspicious. I shifted from foot to foot, knowing she wouldn't like the answer. Mother was wary of Mt. Aleph and had warned us never to go there without an adult. Our wizened teacher was most definitely an adult-but knowing Kraden, we might end up hanging off the side to investigate the air currents near an active volcano.

"We're going to Mt. Aleph with Kraden." answered Garet. I would have kicked him if I were any nearer. Sure, I didn't want to lie, but I knew that Mother would never say yes...

"Mountain climbing with Kraden?"

We all nodded, looking at each other cautiously. Was she actually going to let me go?

"Kids and their games..." she muttered.

"It's part of our studies!" exclaimed Jenna indignantly. I cringed. Mother didn't really approve of our studies of Alchemy. She considered them part a waste of time and part "too dangerous!".

"Ah, yes...Alchemy." Mother said with a knowing look on her face. I winced. There was no way she would say yes. "Alchemy is the foundation of all Psynergy. And you all know Mt. Aleph is the greatest source of Alchemy."  
We all nodded again. Safe answers.

"They say Kraden is the best teacher around. Alchemy-I wonder what use it all is?" she pondered, adding pointedly, "Your mother would rather see you grow up to be an ordinary man."

I sent her my most winning look. "But-"  
"But I suppose you still want to go..."  
"Yes." I nodded to emphasize my answer. I couldn't miss an oppurtunity like this!

"Well, I guess I can't persuade you! You're just as stubborn as your father!" Mother laughed.

Leaning on the fence, she fell, crying out, at the same moment Garet said, "Be careful, ma'am!"

Garet leaped over to the fence too late to hear Jenna's warning, "Garet, don't!"

The other Mars Adept rolled her eyes. "Idiot,"

He fell in a weak spot in the roof, wincing. The Adept groaned. "Ouch..."

"Oh, that was exciting!" cried Mother. She climbed back up on the roof without a scratch.

Garet, his face as red as his hair, stammered, "I...I'm sorry, ma'am, I'll get out of your way right away!" The Mars Adept stumbled over...

"Wait! Not there!" called Jenna, giggling, but it was too late...he had already fallen into yet another weak spot.

Mother, smiling, apparently also found the situation amusing. I had to stifle a laugh myself. Garet looked ridiculous.

"I guess you better get going," said Mother. "This old house will fall apart if you stay much longer. I'll get this fixed up."  
"Thank you, ma'am," Jenna replied politely, secretively winking again.

"Please, call me Dora," Mother insisted.

We climbed back down the ladder, and I said goodbye to Mother. Walking by Garet's house, I had to stop from laughing-Garet's older sister Kay was about ready to murder him for crushing her flowers with his training stone.

Entering the small, woody area around Kraden's cottage, I heard a familiar voice say, "They seem to know little of the mysteries of the Sanctum."

I gulped. I knew that voice. It was that blue-haired man from the day the Boulder fell! The storm...

"The elders of Vale must not permit even Kraden to enter it." he continued. He was not far from us, from the sound of his voice. I shivered. Those people were evil for sure. I wondered if Garet had recognized the voices, too.

Then I heard the woman's voice. "Kraden...can we use him?" she asked the man.

"His knowledge is no meager thing; we can use him." he decided.

"But he's more stubborn than we expected." noted the woman.

"And cunning beyond measure." observed the man.

I could hear Jenna stifle a laugh beside me. Kraden? Cunning? The very idea was laughable!

"If he won't go _willingly _we can always..." It was her again.

Then the two came rushing into view, stopping just in front of us.

"You there! What are you doing?" snarled the man.

"What are we doing?" asked Garet stupidly, apparently still in shock from the sight of them.

"Were you eavesdropping?" asked the woman.

"No," I lied hastily. Well, it wasn't our fault, after all, and I really didn't want to see the wrong side of their Psynergy after the display after the Boulder.

"I guess we should take you at your word," sneered the woman.

"Hey, you're the ones who were sneaking around!" accused Garet.

"Sneaking...who are you to accuse me?" growled the man.

"So Kraden's engagement was with you," purred the woman softly.

Jenna nodded. "Yeah, we're off to see him right now." she told them plainly.

"And is this appointment important enough to drive us away?"

"Yes," muttered Jenna angrily, bits of flame tingling the edges of her balled hands.

"Uh, yes!" I blurted out, hoping that Jenna wouldn't rashly try to use a Fume or two on these people. They were Mars Adepts, too, as I'd seen after the Boulder fell. The chances were that it wouldn't even hurt them.

The man made an odd noise. "If your errand is more important than ours, then...go."

Amazed, I stared at him.

"You're letting us go?" asked Jenna incredulously, the flames fading away from the tips of her fingers.

"Are you sure, Saturos?" asked the woman.

"Menardi, we have no reason to delay these children any further." said Saturos.

They backed away.

"Let's...let's go, Isaac." said Garet nervously, fidgeting.

I shuddered slightly as we passed the silent two, who were glowering at us like they wanted nothing more than to fry us with their powerful Psynergy.

We found Kraden outside his cottage, pacing. The wrinkled man was fiddling with a few stray gray hairs.

"Who were they?" he pondered. I realized he must be talking about Saturos and Menardi.

"They already know too much about Sol Sanctum..."

He kept muttering stuff about elements and the Sanctum as we waited, exchanging glances.

He was so caught up in his thinking he didn't notice us til we were right next to him.

"Oh!" he squeaked in surprise.

"You look like something's bothering you." noted Jenna.

"Me? Ah, well..."

"It's those two, isn't it? Saturos and Menardi were their names?" Garet inquired, turning around to search for the duo we'd passed.

"Are they still out there?" asked Kraden. "They're _very _persistent."

Jenna, mimicking Garet, turned around and questioned, "Did they want something from you, Kraden?"

Kraden, sounding worried, said, "Yes, that seems to be the case..."

"Seems to be?" Jenna asked.

Kraden frowned. "Mount Aleph and Sol Sanctum...They spoke as if they themselves had seen them..."

I remembered-that night-they'd been talking about the Sanctum.

"Isn't that odd?"

I nodded, wishing I could tell our teacher about how they'd been talking during the storm, but I was too terrified of what Saturos and Menardi might do to me.

"You can't enter Mount Aleph without a very good reason." Kraden told us.

"And if they entered secretly, they could be thieves!" exclaimed Jenna.

Garet, excited, declared, "We have to go tell the high elders and the villagers!"

I agreed. "Let's go!"

"Wait, everyone!" called Kraden. "I still don't know how accurate the things they said were...We must confirm what they told me."

"Then what should we do?" Jenna asked.

Kraden, with a very mischievous smile on his wrinkled face, said, "We go confirm it."

Eventually, we decided we had to go. After all, it _was _our duty, right? And we'd always enjoyed being explorers when we were younger. Right...sure...I knew that the _real_ reason we were going was that none of us could resist an adventure.

Then, something very unexpected happened.

Kraden said, "We'll make you the leader, OK, Isaac?"  
Me? The leader? _Me_?

"Uh..."

Jenna nudged me.

I looked up. She was giving me one of her famous if-looks-could-kill poison glares.

"Sure."

Kraden went quickly inside his house and back out, clearly carrying something, I wasn't sure what.

Saturos and Menardi were gone, and I was very thankful. It was off to the Sanctum-but little did I know what would happen next...


	3. Secret of the Sanctum

Disclaimer: If I owned Golden Sun, there would be Golden Sun _everything_! Since there isn't, I don't.

A/N: I have recently edited this chapter again.

We walked carefully up the steps leading to the Sanctum. No sign of guards. Just behind that tree and-

A healer! He herded us back to the steps, demanding sternly, "You're not planning on sneaking to Mount Aleph, are you?"

"No," lied Jenna quickly, her eyes darting from the healer to me. Was she expecting me to do something, since Kraden had appointed me the leader? I started to feel panicked.

The healer started pacing back and forth. When the healer was out of sight, Jenna muttered to me, "Aren't you going to say for us to go?"

I started. Me? Signal? I gulped. "Okay...now!"

I grabbed her hand and the three of us rushed past. Kraden didn't have to worry about being caught, so he chatted with the healer for a few minutes before rejoining us.

Taking a deep breath, I started up the steps that led to Sol Sanctum.

What a magnificent sight! The steps were crafted of what looked like dwarven silver, and-jade, maybe? Four solemn statues adorned the entrance. I opened the door, looking at the beautiful carvings on the walls. We entered.

A plain room, with only two lanterns glowing in an almost supernatural light. The next room was flooded with water, with stepping stone paths. We hopped cautiously to the next door.

An amazing hallway...what kind of blue stone was that on the floor, anyway?

Then we encountered our first monsters, a bat, a rat, and a toadstool, or something like it. Jenna, glaring at the animals (and fungus) suddenly set them on fire! I'd seen her use Psynergy before but I definitely wasn't expecting that. It killed everything but the rat, which Garet took care of. They hadn't had a chance to hurt us, thankfully, but Jenna was breathing rather hard. I would have asked if she was all right, but I was half-afraid she'd set _me_ on fire. Jenna doesn't appreciate people worrying over her.

We faced two more bats farther on. We finished them pretty quickly, but one still had time to bite my arm. I rubbed the wound, wondering if I ought to slow and heal it, or tell one of the others. I shrugged. It didn't hurt _that_ much.

Three hallways.

"Middle," suggested Jenna. I shrugged. It didn't make a difference to me.

A lone treasure chest at the end.

"Great job of leading us," smirked Garet.

I opened the chest. Inside was a very small jewel, polished bright.

"Left," ordered Garet.

A dead end.

"Great job of leading us," mimicked Jenna. "At least my path got us some sort of jewel!"

At the end of the right path, there was another dead end.

Jenna pointed at the relief of a minotaur. It was missing one jeweled eye.

I carefully took the small jewel out of my pack and placed it in the hole.

A loud noise, but nothing apparent happened. On a hunch, I led the way back to the left corridor.

Sure enough, a door had appeared in the wall.

Inside, another kind of precious jewel, purple this time, covered the floor. Kraden, glancing around, seemed troubled.

"The two said there was some sort of a hidden passage."

Kraden explained how he'd always thought there was something off.

After inspecting every area of the room, I couldn't imagine where it could be.

Jenna spotted my wounded arm.

"Isaac! Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" she demanded.

"I didn't want to bother you."

She glared at me. I didn't like that glare especially since it looked identical to the one that had killed those monsters earlier.

"Get in the light," she ordered.

Meekly, I stood in the light of the nearest lantern.

Garet leaned against a statue while Jenna applied an herb mixture on my arm.

"Whoa!" screeched Garet.

I instinctively turned around. His leaning had pushed the statue over and revealed a door!

After stairs and a maze of a hallway, we entered a room with statues.

Kraden suggested, "Isaac, maybe you should try your Psynergy."

Walking over to the first platform to the left, I concentrated on my Move Psynergy, and revealed another minotaur relief.

"Oh, great," groaned Garet. "Lemme guess-we have to go get another jewel."

Returning to the maze, we finally found the correct path and retrieved another jewel from a chest.

I placed the gem in the socket. Hearing the sound of shifting stone, I Moved the next statue.

A door! But the room appeared to be empty. We left the room.

The next statue yielded a blank wall; the same with the next. And the next. Only one more.

Yes! Success! A door!

We walked through the hall in silence. Jenna found an herb in the chest to the left.

And then I saw the next room up ahead.

Patterned with purple and gray tile, with a picture of the sun in the dead middle and four statues surrounding it-representing the elements, I guess.

Kraden, practically hopping in delight, declared, "This is it! We've found it!"

He walked to the center, then turned to look at us.

"It's just as I'd imagined...which means those two were telling the truth!"

"But if what they said was true, then that means they must have been..." Jenna looked worried.

"They were thieves! The came to rob Sol Sanctum!" shouted Garet.

Jenna, her eyes wide, exclaimed, "Let's hurry back to the village and tell everybody!"

Kraden shook his head.

"We're so close," he murmured.

"Huh?" Jenna asked.

"Sol Sanctum holds the very origins of Alchemy. It would be a waste to...hmm. What do you think, Isaac? Shall we go a little farther?"

I looked from Kraden's hopeful eyes to Garet's excited face, and then to Jenna's thoughtful expression.

"Sure," I said resignedly. After all, adventure was what we'd come here for.

"Thank you!" squealed Kraden.

"If you put it that way, we don't have much choice." Jenna pointed out.

The next room was just as beautiful as the Sol room, but it contrasted in almost every way. Instead of Sol, the sun, the pattern in the center was of Luna, the moon. And this room was dark, and more peaceful. But it had, similarly, four statues.

"These rooms must be connected somehow, don't you think?" pondered Kraden.

"Yeah." I agreed. "I guess so." Somehow, even here in the Sanctum, I doubted that some sort of secret passage existed. But I knew there was no use arguing with Kraden when he was in this sort of mood.

"Luna and Sol-there must be some secret hidden in these rooms. Isaac, would you look farther up the passage?"

I nodded.

"Let me know what you find."

He retreated to the edge of the Luna room, examining the walls. The remaining three of us climbed the short flight of stairs, and went into the next room...

Which resembled the Luna room. There were four statues, and four places to set them.

Garet moved forward to move one. I had a bad feeling about that.

"Garet, don't move them. Don't! Garet!"

"Oh, come on. It's just a statue." Garet said as he pushed one into place. It reflected a beam of light onto the Luna picture, turning that part to Sol.

In a couple of minutes, Kraden came rushing up the stairs.

"Wait, Isaac!"

"What's wrong?" asked Jenna, puzzled.

"This is a most interesting mechanism you have discovered. But it is clearly a trap."

"A trap?" repeated Garet.

"Why would someone have a trap here?" I wondered.

"Why, Isaac, this sanctum may hold the key to Alchemy itself. Should I tell you more?"

"Please!" exclaimed Jenna eagerly.

"I doubt you could understand it if I explained it now. Keep trying."

He left the room for the safety of the Luna room.

On a hunch, I went to the next room, which looked rather like the Sol room. I moved one statue over on the switch. It reflected a beam of light-not on Sol, but in front of another statue.

There was an identical statue on the other side of the room.

When it reflected its light, it created a hole in front of the statue.

I used Move.

As the statue fell in the hole, there was a great quake and something made a clicking noise.

Experimentally, I pushed one of the statues in the upstairs Luna room onto the switch. It reflected its beam of light. After a few minutes, Kraden came into the room again.

"You did it, Isaac! What happened?"  
"Isaac pushed the two statues over there onto the switches, and their light somehow burned a hole in that platform!" Jenna explained before I had a chance to answer.

"And then he put the other statue in that hole." Garet interjected.

"I am very impressed with the three of you. Keep it up!" Kraden scurried off down the stairs.

We placed the rest of the statues down on the switches without any trouble, then headed back downstairs.

Walking into the Luna room, we were greeted by Kraden.

"Look! The picture of Luna changed to Sol!" he exclaimed, pointing at the symbol. "But other than that, nothing has changed. That's strange...why would they go to the trouble of putting a trap here if this is all that happens? Somewhere, something else has changed. We _must _find it."

I led the way to the Sol room-and gasped. It wasn't the Sol room anymore. All my doubts disappeared.

"Look! The symbol of Sol changed to Luna! Surely there must be something in this room." deduced Kraden.

Examining the wall, I saw a shining beam of light. Moving closer...

It transformed into a portal! The strange thing was, it was semi-transparent-I could see parts of the wall through it.

"This must be it!" cried Kraden excitedly. "Let's go, Isaac!"

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the swirling portal...


	4. The Elemental Stars

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

I was the first one to arrive through the portal, and I moved away quickly so Jenna, Garet, and Kraden wouldn't smash into me. I gazed around in awe. Where was this place?

Garet looked excited, but Jenna seemed worried. When I asked her what was wrong, she just replied quickly, "I have a very bad feeling about this place. Like...oh, I don't know. Like something bad either has happened here or will happen."

I shivered. This place _was_ kind of creepy, and Jenna's "feeling" wasn't making it any better. "Well, maybe it's just the whole Alchemy thing,"

"Wh-where _are _we?" asked Kraden in a tone of awe.

He came through the portal just after his voice arrived, startling us.

"Is that...the ocean?"

He dashed from side to side. I couldn't answer him, since I had no idea what an "ocean" even was.

"No, it couldn't be...The ocean has waves." he decided.

I exchanged a glance with Jenna. She looked at me with a mixture of puzzlement and fear.

"What's an ocean?" asked Garet curiously.

Kraden, finally tearing his glance away from our surroundings, answered, "The ocean is a thing of endless water at the end of the world."

"Endless water?" repeated Garet, making a face. "Weird."

Jenna wrinkled her nose. "I like the water, but...endless water? It sounds horrible for fire Psynergy!"

"Would you tell us more?" I asked.

"You would not understand...Someday, I'll show you the ocean myself." continued Kraden.

Kraden started dashing around again, then slowed, murmuring, "The Elemental Stars...they exist!"

Jenna, Kraden's star student, stepped forward. "You taught us about those...Elements are the foundation of all matter."

Garet said proudly, "Stones, wood, even us...everything is made from the four Elements. " He turned to me. "Did I get it right, Isaac?"

Grinning, I nodded. I had tutored Garet for a time-he was much more interested in fighting than in our studies of Alchemy. I remembered how Jenna had once tried to help him in our studies and finally gave up in disgust.

Kraden nodded also. "Exactly. I have taught you many times that the Elements are the source of all matter. Earth, water, fire, and wind-these are the four Elements. Legend holds that the four Elemental Stars contain the purified essence of each element. And now those same legendary stones are before us!"  
Looking to the southeast, he intoned, "The Venus Star...The elemental stone of earth!" I felt a special connection with that star-after all, I was a Venus Adept.

To the northeast, Kraden continued, "The Mercury Star, possessing the power of water's many forms!" How much power could water have, I wondered, having never met a Mercury Adept.

The northwest star he announced as, "The Mars Star, glowing red with the fire contained within!" I could practically hear Jenna smiling.

The final star: "And the Jupiter Star, bound with the wind's fury!"

Jenna, clearly amused, asked Kraden, "Why are you getting so excited?"

Kraden asked her, "How can _you _be so calm in the face of such wonders? You're looking at the _very source _of Alchemy!"

Seeing the puzzled expressions on our faces, he continued, "Haven't I told you all this before?"

"Yes," I admitted. I remembered him talking about some sort of stars and something about Alchemy, but it had been a very hot and boring day, and Jenna had been amusing herself by making small flames jump up on her head. Garet and I had been watching with interest until some of her fire wandered over to us. I shuddered at the memory, patting my still-singed shoulder. She hadn't meant to, of course, but sometimes her flames...got away from her.

"What?" asked Garet, bewildered. "I must have fallen asleep, then, because I don't know what on Weyard he's talking about!"

Kraden was annoyed. "The Wisdom Stone-the Stone of Sages. It can transmute crude matter into gold, even thwart death itself! You understand now, don't you?"

"Uh-huh." Garet clearly didn't, but I was sure he'd never say as much in front of Kraden.

"The study of Alchemy began with the search for this very stone." Our teacher continued.

"I don't really get how it works, but they have enormous power, right?" Jenna asked.

"Beyond enormous," Kraden confirmed. "With a single gem, one could conquer the world!"  
The world? With one of those star thingies?

"Now, perhaps, you begin to understand." he said, seeing our stricken faces.

Garet glared at our teacher. "Don't scare us like that, Kraden. I thought you were serious."

"Who can say what the truth is?" said Kraden mysteriously. "That's why I've been searching for the Stars. I seek to learn the truth about these stones."

He tried to hop onto one of the small platforms. "Now they are before me."

He slid around. "Whoa..." Kraden hopped back onto the main platform.

"Be careful, Kraden!" scolded Jenna. "It looks slippery."

"But I must examine the Stars." whined Kraden.

Jenna, with a mischievous grin, demanded, "Make the boys do it!"

Kraden, said, "Oh, but I couldn't. Might you...?"  
Jenna gave me a death-glare and following that, a cheerful, slightly mocking smile. "He'd be glad to get the stones for you, right, Isaac?"

I gulped. I knew those looks. The first I had named the if-looks-could-kill-you'd-be-dead, and the second, you-will-do-as-I-say-or-else. "Sure."

"Thank you!" she said with a sunny smile. I knew that look, too. It was proud-of-you-and-glad-my-looks-worked. I myself sent her a look of my own, a helpless sort of glare.

"You'll need these, Isaac." Kraden said, handing me four silver bags.

"What are they?" questioned Garet.

"They're made of woven threads of Mythril silver." answered Kraden.

Now, I'm no expert on metals, but I have studied them, and I know Mythril is one of the strongest metals around. I fingered the bags, feeling the thick threads of the powerful silver.

"Go on!" urged Jenna. "But be careful, both of you."

I hopped onto the first platform. Looking down, I gulped. I was afraid of any sort of height. Above air, water, or burning lava, it wouldn't matter. Even steps had scared me until I was nine.

One step at a time, Isaac, I told myself. Hop. Hop. Hop. Don't think about the water. Hop. Hop. Hop. Just keep going. Hop. Hop. Hop. Hop. Hop. Finally-the statue holding the Venus Star.

I took the Star from its arms. The room started quaking. Several platforms shot up, making it possible to reach the Mercury Star.

"Good, good! Now, go fetch the others!" Kraden called excitedly.

Jenna laughed. "Kraden, you're as giddy as a schoolgirl!"

I decided to think about the Sol Blade-the fabled blade rumored to be hidden in one of the Elemental Lighthouses. I remembered _that_ lesson, for sure.

Hop. Hop. It is only wielded by Venus Adepts. Hop. Hop. Hop. It strengthens Venus Psynergetic powers. Hop. Hop. Hop. Hop. It's supposed to have a Psynegetic unleashable attack that is superpowerful. Hop. Hop. Hop.

The Mercury Star. I carefully took it.

"Good, good! Now, go fetch the others!" Kraden shouted.

"You're doing great!" called Jenna encouragingly.

We had to hop back to the main platform. Jupiter next.

I took the Star and waited for the quake and for Kraden to call out.

There was the quake-but why wasn't Kraden talking?

Garet and I exchanged puzzled looks, and we walked to the edge of the Jupiter platform.

There on the main platform were Saturos and Menardi!

"It looks like they've spotted us." sneered Saturos.

"I thought we'd be safe until they'd gotten all the Elemental Stars." Menardi spat.

"You! You mean to steal the Elemental Stars!" accused Kraden.

Saturos, with an air of fake politeness, said, "Master Kraden...Are you calling us _thieves_?"

"As I recall, aren't you the one who stole our information?" Menardi pointed out.

Jenna, a look of concern on her face, asked, "What will you do with us once you've got the Elemental Stars?"

I was frozen in fright. If I could have moved, I would probably have gone and tried to attack them-not like I'd be successful. But...Jenna!

"I'm sure they'll do us in once they no longer need us!" Kraden figured, trembling.

"Relax...You will not be hurt." A mysterious voice comforted.

A figure, presumably the speaker, emerged from the portal.

"That was our agreement, was it not?" the boy, or man, I could not tell, had a mask over his features. However, his distinctive haircut, a thick dark ponytail, seemed somehow familiar...

"That all depends on how well they cooperate." Saturos threatened, glaring at Garet and me.

Menardi clarified, "They'll be safe, as long as they hand over the Elemental Stars. Isn't that enough?"

The man/boy nodded.

"You heard us...If you wish to save your friends, then give us the Stars! Do you accept our terms?"

Of course I did! I would have given anything to save Jenna! I mean, if I had happened to own the world right then, I would have handed it over if they asked. My best friend! And then they had my teacher...

"Yes."

"No, Isaac! You must not give them the Elemental Stars!" Kraden called desperately.

Saturos turned to Kraden. "Why would you deny us? Don't you want you and your friends to be safe?"

"What guarantee do we have once we've given you the Elemental Stars?" Kraden shot back.

Menardi stared at us thoughtfully. "Guarantee...Ah, I have one." She turned to the man/boy. "You will have to remove your mask."

I'm sure that he paled, although we couldn't see his face. "Th-that means..." he stammered.

"Ah, of course. A fine idea... He will be our guarantee." Saturos complimented. "Under the circumstances, we have no choice. Felix! Remove your mask!"

Felix? Felix! That was the name of Jenna's dead brother. I've never heard of another Felix...but...impossible...right? I mean, I'm sure that in the world there was more than one Felix. I mean, one Felix. Jenna's Felix was dead...or was he?

Jenna looked alarmed. I couldn't blame her.

"What? What did he say, Isaac?" asked Garet frantically. "He said Felix...right?"

"Yeah. He did."  
"You heard it too? Felix? It can't be...That day...We saw him die...right?"  
"I thought so. But maybe we didn't."

"But we searched for _weeks_!" he exclaimed.

"What's wrong, Felix? Don't you want them to feel safe?"

Kraden apparently realized that name sounded familiar to him too. "Felix...Wasn't that your late brother's name?"  
Jenna looked at him. "But the accident. He...Felix..."

"I'll do it." Felix(?) decided abruptly. "I'll...take off my mask."

He turned away for a minute. When he turned around, I gasped. It was Felix. It was him. He was...alive? Impossible!

"Felix..." gasped Garet. "We've got to get back to Jenna!"

Tears ran down Jenna's cheeks. "It's not possible..." she sobbed.

"Is he-" started Kraden.

Felix appeared to be bothered by Jenna's reaction. "I know I've caused you much grief, Jenna."  
Much grief! It was much worse than that. Jenna barely ate, barely spoke, for months. I had gone to her grandparents' house as often as I could, trying to persuade her to eat. Her grandparents were glad for my help, for they never managed to get her to eat a bite. It took knowing how to handle her.

"It was a miracle that I survived that day..." Felix continued.

"We are the ones who saved him," interrupted Saturos.

"We saw him floating unconscious in the river as we passed." Menardi told us.

"I've been with them ever since...I've experienced a lot." Felix said, almost bitterly.

"But why?" demanded Jenna. "Why did you leave me all alone?"

"Jenna..."

"My own brother...I thought you were dead!"

"Save your reunion for later," snarled Saturos.

"That's right. The Stars come first." agreed Menardi.

"Is this acceptable? Felix would never allow us to harm you or his sister."

Turning towards us, Menardi said, "Felix will be our guarantee. Now give us the Elemental Stars!"

Garet looked at me. "We don't have a choice. Should we give them the Stars?"

I considered for a second, then agreed, "You're right. We have no choice."

"I guess I should take the Elemental Stars to them." Garet decided.

I handed him the Stars, glad to be free of the burden.

He started to return, when a young man appeared in front of him. "Will you permit me to relieve you of those Elemental Stars?"

"Alex...you're late." spat Saturos. "Alex is another of our companions. You may give him the Stars."

"Oh, great." complained Garet. "After all that work."

"I'm afraid I must apologize in advance." Alex said icily. "For you will be bringing us the remaining Elemental Star, as well."

He began to float into the air.

"Wait a second!" demanded Garet. "You want us to grab the other one for you, too?"

"Oh, did you not understand me?"

"You said you'd set Jenna free when we gave you the Stars. You promised."

"No, my friend. Bring us _all _the Elemental Stars!" Saturos requested cruelly.  
"Stop grumbling and bring us the last star!" ordered Menardi.

I sighed. "I don't think we have much of a choice, Garet. Not if we want to save them."

"Thank you for your cooperation." Alex sneered. "We'll be waiting for the rest."

Garet glared at me once he returned to the Jupiter platform. "I was planning to try to stop them."

"Garet, we wouldn't have a chance. They'd just take the remaining Star _and _Jenna. And leave us here, or worse."

We made our way to the platform with the Mars Star. I was so worried, I wasn't even afraid of falling in the water (or whatever that stuff was) .

I took the Star.

The chamber shook. Dust started falling from the roof and I could see surging lava underneath us.

"What's the matter? What happened?" demanded Menardi.

"Not again!" cried Saturos angrily.

"The water's gone!" Jenna shrieked.

"Without the energy of the Stars, the chamber is collapsing!" exclaimed Alex.

Kraden wondered, "Is this the 'terrible retribution' the villagers spoke of? No, this is more than even Alchemy's power!"  
The dust stopped falling.

"Whew! It's over! But...what was it?" Menardi.

"What is that?!" Jenna screeched.

"No!" Saturos complained.

I saw what looked like a big, floating rock-with a shocking green eye.

"That rock...Do you know what it is?" Garet asked me.

I shook my head. "No idea."

"Me neither. It looks like someone is using Psynergy to lift it."

"The Wise One?" Kraden wondered.

The chamber started to collapse. I could see the Wise One(?) using Psynergy, and it ceased collapsing.

"Such power-incredible!" Alex said in awe.

It used some sort of Psynergy, and then it turned, and used the Psynergy again.

"Wow..." Jenna breathed.

"It must be the guardian of the Elemental Stars!" exclaimed Saturos.

"This doesn't look good," worried Felix. "Maybe we should escape while we can."

"But we need the Mars Star!" complained Menardi.

"I agree with Felix," protested Alex. "We're no match for it."

"The Mars Star can wait." decided Saturos.

"What about Isaac and Garet? You can't just leave them here!" Jenna argued, her eyes wide.

Saturos dismissed that. "Forget about them. They won't make it out alive."

"There is a chance they might survive, Saturos." Menardi reminded him.

"Anything is possible..."

"We take this Jenna with us," Alex proposed. "If they survive, they'll want her back. And if they want her back, they'll bring us the Star. And Kraden _must _come with us.

"Alex...are you breaking the promise?" asked Felix.

"Things have changed." Alex said diplomatically.

"Jenna's not part of this! I won't let you hurt her!"

"Do what you will with me, but let Jenna free!" begged Kraden.

"Your bravery speaks well, old man, but you can't save Jenna now." said Saturos.

Menardi reasoned, "Jenna will die if we leave her here, and surely you don't want that, right, Felix?"

"Perhaps we ought to continue this elsewhere." suggested Alex.

"Felix.."

"Please...can't we leave now?" Alex asked.

"Let's make haste!" agreed Menardi.

One by one, they teleported themselves through the portal.

"Isaac, Garet! Don't die!" called Jenna helplessly.

We hid behind the Mars statue, hoping we could follow Jenna's instructions.

"This turned out badly, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah."

"It's a miracle we survived."

"Yeah." I wasn't exactly in a talkative mood. How could I be? My best friend had just been kidnapped!

Looking around, Garet decided, "This really is terrible. We've got a long way to go to leave."

He turned around and started walking toward the stepping stones.

I didn't follow him, since I was busy gaping at the Wise One who was floating about four feet away.

"Isaac?" Then Garet read my face and turned around. He gulped.

"Why are you standing there?" asked the Wise One. "This place is dangerous."

"You're the dangerous one!" declared Garet.

I noticed the chamber kept trying to collapse.

"The volcano will soon erupt...I cannot hold it long. You must leave immediately."

Suddenly, several small sparks of energy floated from the Mars statue.

"The Elemental Djinn." explained the Wise One. "Take out the Star."

I did as he asked. He used some sort of Psynergy on it.

"Return it to its bag. The Elemental Stars are moving away from here. Without the power of the Stars to contain it, the magma flows freely once again. There will be no chamber for the Elemental Stars to return to...The world will be exposed to the threat of Alchemy."

"Alchemy? A threat?" Garet asked, sounding bewildered.

"It can be a dangerous power when it is misused." The Wise One confirmed. "If the Elemental Stars light the flames of the Elemental Lighthouses, that power will be released. As long as the four lighthouses remain unlit..."  
He cut off. The volcano was erupting. He tried to stop it, but it was only possible for a second.

"The volcano! It's erupting! Flee, now!" he warned.

"How?" asked Garet.

"I will help you..."

He started using Psynergy and we reappeared outside the chamber.

"Did that floating eye thing save us?"  
"Yes."

The Sol-now-Luna-room shook.

"Yeah, right! Let's just get outta here."

I used Psynergy: Retreat. Within seconds we were at the entrance to Sol Sanctum.

"Great trick," muttered Garet.

We dashed out and down the stairs, wondering what would happen next...


	5. The Quest

Disclaimer: Don't own GS. : (

A/N: Very short, I know. But I need to start the next part with the next day!

I have recently edited some of this. Hope you like it!

Garet, seeing the line of people, gulped. "Uh-oh...it's Grandpa and the others. Should we go back up?"

"No. They may be angry, but at least they're not as bad as a volcano." At least, I thought to myself, _ my _mother isn't. Garet's family were known for their tempers. _Especially_ his sister Kay.

"Garet!" called Aaron.

"Isaac!" cried Mother.

"You're safe!" exclaimed the head healer.

"Both of you, come over here!" ordered Garet's grandfather.

We carefully approached them.

"Where have you been?" demanded the mayor.

"What happened?" asked the main healer.

"It's a long story," I explained.

"Weren't Jenna and Kraden with you?" asked Mother.

"Yes," I admitted. "They were kidnapped."

"By whom?" questioned the mayor.

"Saturos and Menardi! We went there to make sure what they said was true and then the Wise One came along and they took Jenna and Kraden and they had Felix! And there was a guy named Alex, too, and they're going to try to light the lighthouses, they have the Stars except they don't have the Mars Star, Isaac has that and they caused the storm three years ago!" Garet said in one breath.

"This is all very complicated." noted the healer. "We'll need you to tell us _exactly _what happened on the mountain. Enter the sactum, both of you."

The healer led the way into the Sanctum, and we told them our story.

"We had no idea-the true sanctum..." breathed the mayor when we had finished.

Mother looked worried. "And Jenna and Kraden...they're prisoners?"

"Yes, we couldn't save them." I confirmed.

"They've been taken against their will-how awful!" Mother exclaimed!

One of the healers asked, "Do you think they can be saved?"

"Yes." At least I hope so, I added silently. Maybe...no, Isaac. Don't think that.

"Jenna's brother will protect them, right?"

"Yeah," I said. I hope so. I really, really, hope so.

Garet's grandfather inquired of the healer, "What is it? You have been very quiet."

"It's like you're a thousand miles away." agreed Mother.

The healer answered, "That hovering stone...I have seen it in my dreams. In my mind's eye, it appeared again just now and spoke to me."  
"You saw it just now?" asked Garet.

"It must be the Wise One, the guardian of the Elemental Stars. It told me what happened to you in Sol Sanctum."

"Will the volcano destroy Vale?" wondered Mother.

The healer used Psynergy. "It is impossible to stop the eruption now."

"Will Vale be..." started another healer.

"Vale will be safe." the healer assured us.

He used the Psynergy again and trembled.

"What's the matter, Great Healer?" asked the mayor.

"The village _will_ be destroyed, won't it?" Mother asked.

"Something more dreadful than the destruction of Vale looms ahead." he intoned.

"What could be worse?" wondered Garet, voicing my thoughts.

"A terrible power," the healer told us mysteriously. "The Elemental Star gems house incredible power."  
"And Vale has been guarding these gems?" asked the mayor.

"Yes. The Elemental Lighthouses will set that power upon Weyard." he said darkly. "Once the power of those gems has been released on the world..." He let his voice drift off.

"The Wise One wants us to get the Stars back, doesn't he?"

The healer shook his head, surprising us all. I began to wonder if the rock _was_ the Wise One, because what he'd said seemed awfully like he wanted us to retrieve them.

"The world is ours, to save or destroy." continued the healer. "Our inaction may bring about its destruction."

"What a pity..." said the mayor. That's the understatement of all time, I thought wryly.

"We cannot hope for salvation." said the healer firmly. "We must save ourselves."

Everyone was quiet for a long time. Then Mother asked, "Then what can we do?"

The healer slowly walked to the middle of the room, just in front of us. He inclined his head slightly to indicate Garet and me. I gulped.

"Acquiring the Elemental Stars is their fate alone."

Mother looked very worried. "Are you suggesting we place the fate of the world in the hands of Isaac and Garet?"

"Garet is only a child." protested his grandfather. "You can't expect him to bear such a burden."

"The Wise One has spoken." said the healer simply. "Each of you shares responsibility for this. Now, each of you must make your own decision!"

Garet looked stricken. "I don't know what to do. Isaac, you decide."

"Isaac, will you accept responsibility for the fate of the land?"

I braced myself, and tried to sound brave. This was one of the times I _hated _being the responsible one. "Yes." I said quietly. "Yes, I will."

"You accept?" asked Garet incredulously. "Oh, Isaac, you can't mean it."

"You chose to leave the decision to Isaac." the mayor said sternly. "There shall be no further discussion."

"Wise One, these two have accepted your quest."

The Wise One suddenly appeared in the chamber. "You two are quite brave to take on this quest. I shall be watching you."

He faded away.

"What did the Wise One say?" asked the mayor eagerly.

"Felix must unlock the power." the healer said. "Find the lighthouses...You'll have the guidance of the Elemental Star..."

We all nodded, awaiting his next commands. Nothing.

"Um...then what?" wondered Garet.

The healer looked puzzled.

"What should they do there?" clarified Mother.

He still seemed confused.

"Surely, that cannot be all the advice you can offer them, Great Healer!" protested the mayor.

The healer thought about it for a second.

"Seek the elementals-the Djinn. They will prove useful." Right, I thought, that's a lot of help. I don't even know what a Djinni looks like!

"Isn't there anything else?" prompted Garet.

"That is all."

"That's it! Isn't there anything else you can tell them?" demanded Garet's grandfather.

"That is all, Mayor." The healer said firmly. "I leave it up to you, Isaac and Garet."

He exited the Sanctum. Everyone was silent, and there was tension in the air. Finally, one of the healers stuttered, "Isn't i-it about time to...uh, meditate?"

The other healer looked confused. Then it dawned on him. "Oh yeah! Meditation! Let's go!"

They left together.

"Well, what good are those guys?" complained the mayor. "Sending children off with no help or direction..."

"I agree," broke in Mother. "But...they didn't give us any other choice."

"Well, when should they go?" demanded the mayor.

"It doesn't sound like we can afford to wait." Mother said.

"Tomorrow, then?" proposed the mayor.

I exchanged a scared glance with Garet. He gulped. Please say no, I begged Mother silently. Please, please, please...

"Tomorrow? Yes." she pronounced.

Tomorrow? No! No! But...to save Jenna, to save the world...I would do it.

"Isaac, come on." Mother ordered, ruffling my hair. "You need a very good night's sleep. I'll pack for you, don't worry about that."

I nodded resignedly. Tomorrow...


	6. Flint

Disclaimer: If I owned Golden Sun, I wouldn't be writing this. I would be writing for the storyboard for a new game.

A/N: Short again, I know. But I've uploaded the long seventh chapter, so I'm making up for it!

I have recently spell-checked and edited this chapter.

There was a large group of people there that day-most of Vale, I would say. There was the Great Healer, and Garet's family, of course, but Mother was not there. I didn't expect her to have been.

"We are counting on you, Isaac." pronounced the healer. "Oh, and you, too, Garet."

"Don't drink the water if it smells funny," ordered Kay. "And...take this with you, too."

She walked up to me and handed me an herb leaf.

"I know not to drink stagnant water, sis!" protested Garet.

"Don't listen to him, Isaac!" proclaimed Aaron. "He's a pig! He'll eat anything that's not tied down!"

Garet shot his little brother a glare. "I will not!"

"Dora is very late," commented a lesser healer.

"Oh! That's right!" cried Aaron. "Aunty Dora asked me to give this to you, Isaac."

Aaron gave me a small necklace. I gasped when I saw it was Mother's prized Psynergy beads.

"I guess we're all set to go, huh, Isaac?" Garet said pointedly.

"Think again, Garet!" said Kay. "It must be very difficult for Dora..."

Garet's mother nodded. "I know how Dora must be feeling. But I still have Garet's father, while Dora has only Isaac. She doesn't want you to go, Isaac, but she knows you have to, and it hurts to see you leave."

"They can't keep standing around here like this, or they'll never leave!" declared the mayor. "So, one final farewell!"

He turned around, and he must have given some sort of signal, for, as one, they all exclaimed, "Farewell!"

I led the way out of Vale.

Once we were on the dirt road, Garet asked abruptly, "So...what do we do now?"

I hadn't really thought about that. "Um...we start trekking to Vault. Maybe we can find something useful there."

I had never been to any other town. The thought cheered me. We started walking.

After about fifteen minutes, I saw a flickering...thing, spinning around through the air.

"Isaac?"

"Yeah, Garet?"  
"What _is _that thing?"

"No idea. Maybe it's one of those Djinni-things."

The...thing...suddenly stopped spinning. "Oh!" it squeaked. "A traveling warrior!"

Then it clearly used some sort of Psynergy. "And I see you're an Adept, too!"

"You're just the kind of fighter I've been looking for!" it exclaimed. "Won't you please take me along with you? I am a Venus Djinni. My name is Flint. I must find my comrades. I have to! We were separated from each other when the volcano erupted. Maybe you can help gather my friends together as you travel. If you let me join you, I'll be very beneficial to you Adepts! Your Psynergy will grow stronger, and your Adept skills will improve. You can call on us in battle or just use our power to boost your own! If you call on many of us at once, our powers will work together! What do you think? Will you take me with you?"

"Ummm...let me discuss it with my friend Garet." I told the Djinni. It had clearly worked on that speech, and I hoped it wasn't that talkative all the time.

"Garet!" I hissed, poking him. "What do you think?"

"It doesn't look too tough to me," he said, shrugging.

Unfortunately, the Djinni heard that. "I am too strong!" Flint declared. "And I'll boost your powers and oh, please, please, _please _take me with you! After all...I can strike a blow that can cleave stone!"

"Fine, we'll take you with us." I agreed.

"Who's this we?" asked Garet. "He's a _Venus_ Djinni, you're a _Venus_ Adept. Seems pretty obvious to me."

"OK, then, _I'll _take you with _me_."

"Oh, you'll see!" squealed Flint. "You won't regret it! Now let me tell you more about us."

I groaned.

"There's three stages of Djinn." Flint explained. "Set, standby, and recovery. Right now I'm on _standby_, because I'm visible. I don't boost your powers at this time. But you can use me to _summon_ monsters to fight for you! Since you only have one Djinni right now, all you can summon is the element of Venus. But if you get another Venus Djinni, you can summon Ramses if we're both on standby! When we're on _set_, we boost your powers. You can call us up in battle to use our set power-like mine is to strike a blow that can cleave stone, remember? And after we do that, we're on standby, and then you can summon! After you summon, we'll go on _recovery_. We don't boost your powers, and you can't summon us. Then we'll automatically go back on set mode! We Djinn can be very useful, can't we? Did you get all that?"

"Yeah." I would have agreed to _anything_ to get that lecture over with! Ugh! He was worse than Kraden!

"Then I'll go on set. Ready?"

"Uh...Flint...what exactly _is_ set?"

But my question arrived too late. He disappeared into thin air.

"Flint? Flint?"  
_I'm here!_

"Where?"

_In your head!_

"Huh?"  
Garet was staring at me as if I'd lost my mind.

_Don't worry...I won't tell _anyone _your secret thoughts! Although that _is _interesting..._

"He's somehow in my head." I explained to Garet.

"O-kay...Whatever." Garet shook his head.

_And don't worry...I would never, ever, ever, tell anyone this interesting bit of information!_ Flint laughed. _Though I'm sure that gossip Quartz would love to hear it! Of course, if you're going to pick up all of us I guess she'll hear it anyway! And I do _not _talk too much! I'm offended!_

I held my head in my hands. "Let's just get on to Vault," I told Garet weakly.


	7. A New Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun or any of the characters. :((

A/N: I spell-checked and edited this chapter.

We stopped for a picnic at Garet's great relief, and I stared in wonder at all the food his family had packed.

"They know you well." I commented, reaching for a loaf of his mother's famous homemade bread.

He grinned.

Flint, still on set, sighed. _We Djinn don't eat, you know. Though that...what _is_ that, anyway?...looks pretty good._

_That's wolf meat, _I informed him. I had learned to speak to him through my mind. I was glad he'd told me before we got to Vault.

Garet finally declared himself full, after polishing off most of the packed food.

"We're going to have to start hunting soon," I noted, "with an appetite like that."

We approached Vault, not sure what to make of the idea of a town other than Vale. But several covered wagons blocked the entrance. We could hear the people inside talking.

"We can't stay another minute in a dangerous place like this." decided a man's voice. "We return to Kalay immediately!"

The wagons rolled off to a nearby broken bridge. A man hopped out of one of the wagons. "Master Hammet!" he called. "This is terrible! The bridge has been destroyed! We cannot continue southward."

Another man walked out of a wagon, presumably Master Hammet, whoever he was. "What? The bridge? This is awful-how will we get to Kalay?"

The other man turned to him. "Master Hammet, I'm worried about leaving Ivan behind..." Ivan? Who was Ivan?

"As fond as I am of Ivan, it is his fault my rod was stolen." said Hammet. "And his strange powers will aid him in search of the rod."

The other man sounded confused. "Ivan has strange powers?" Strange powers? Psynergy? Was it possible? Were there Adepts outside of Vale?  
Of course there are! I berated myself. Saturos and Menardi and Alex!

Then they both trembled.

Looking to their northwest, I understood. A great blue stone crashed from the sky. A Psynergy Stone...

"We must leave this place immediately!" Hammet told him.

"But to where?" wondered the other man. "Where can we go?"

Hammet turned to face our direction. "We're heading north."

"We'll wind up in Lunpa!"

"It's better than being smashed by falling rocks here!"

The wagons rolled off.

"I guess we better go into Vault now," said Garet cautiously.

I nodded.

My first impression of Vault was not very...impressing. It was small, much smaller than Vale, but it felt somehow cozy.

We walked up to a man, a little nervous. We'd never been around strangers before.

"Good afternoon." I said to the man.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to Vault, the town at the heart of Angara."

An old woman was pacing outside the Inn.

"Good afternoon." I greeted her.

"Good afternoon. Those travelers left in a big hurry. They looked like they were on the run. Did you see them coming in?"

"No. What was the group like?"

"It was a group of two women and four men. They were quite strange. The young girl and the old man didn't look too happy to be there." Two women and four men-it was Saturos and Menardi!

"How interesting." I said politely, trying to mask my fear and disappointment. They'd already left!

"Did you just arrive in town today?" asked the item shopkeeper.

"Yes." I answered, thinking that was a very strange question.

"Then I suppose you're not the thieves."

We met a very suspicious man on a ledge.

"Heard anything about those thefts?" asked Garet.

"Are you accusing us of stealing Hammet's treasured Shaman's Rod?"

"No," said Garet, puzzled.

"I knew you were too smart to listen to rumors. But it wasn't us. We don't even know what was stolen!"

That's not right, I thought. He just said "Hammet's treasured Shaman's Rod."

From the bell tower, I spotted a Djinni.

_Get him!_ exclaimed Flint. _That's my friend Sap! _How could he tell the difference? I wondered. The Djinni looked just like Flint to me.

_I can't reach him from here. I'll get him later._ Besides, I didn't think I could stand _another_ Djinni!

_I heard that,_ Flint informed me in an annoyed tone. _That's not very nice. _

_Well, I'm sure you have some "not nice" thoughts, too!_ I retorted. _But _you_ don't have some sneaky little Djinni listening to all your thoughts!_

_Hey!_ protested Flint. _I'm not a sneaky little Djinni!_

I concentrated on toning him out.

Upstairs in the Inn, we saw the two other men who the townspeople suspected.

"That kid Ivan creeps me out." admitted one. "He just came and grabbed my arm...I shook him off beause he made me uncomfortable."

A young boy informed me, "They left Ivan at the mayor's to look for the rod."

I turned to Garet. "Sounds like we better visit this Ivan."

"Yeah." he agreed. "The whole town's in an uproar over him."

In the mayor's house, a little girl told us, "Ivan has great powers. Don't say it if you don't mean it, 'cause he can tell in an instant."  
Sounds useful, I thought to myself.

_Sounds like a Jupiter Adept,_ said Flint.

We approached Ivan.

"Good afternoon," I greeted.

He frowned in concentration, and I could tell he was using Psynergy.

"Yes. I... I do possess strange powers."

He'd read my mind!

He used the Psynergy again. "You have them, too, don't you?" He mind-read me again and exclaimed, "My power is called Psynergy? I had no idea!"

"We have so much in common," Ivan continued. "I feel I can trust you with this. I am quite troubled-Master Hammet's rod was stolen. Would you please help me get my master's rod back?"

"Sure. We'll help in any way we can." I said.

"Thank you. With your help, I believe we can recover the rod. Your names are.."

He used his mind-read again. I subconsciously stepped back. He kind of creeped me out.

"Isaac and Garet. I am Ivan. Pleased to meet you." He read the look on our faces. "My ability to read people's minds frightens you, doesn't it?"

"Am I really..." he started, then changed his approach. "Is my Mind Read so frightening?"  
"Well, I guess not." I admitted. "But to people who'd never seen me use Move would think it frightening."

"I have an idea," he whispered to me. "Hold my hand."  
I did so.

Ivan walked up to Garet and Mind Read him.

_Ahh! My mind...Stop reading my mind, Ivan! _Garet thought angrily.

"So, Isaac...could you read his mind?"  
"Yes. I did read Garet's mind."

"Just as I thought." Ivan nodded, satisfied.

"What? You read my mind, too?" Garet was furious.

"I guessed that I could help you read minds if we shared our Psynergy." Ivan revealed.

"That's not fair!" Garet exclaimed.

"You're right." agreed Ivan. "It's not fair to read one-way."

They clasped their hands and walked up to me. I could feel my face burning. I tried not to think about any secrets as I felt their probing minds touch mine. _Stop it!_ I thought at them. _First Flint, and now you two! Stop it!_

"Whoa! I read your mind, Isaac!"

"Let's use Mind Read to find the thieves!" said Ivan, excited.

"Wait a second," Garet said slowly. "Won't people know we're using Mind Read?"

Ivan looked puzzled, then his face lit up. "You two can tell when I'm using Psynergy?"

"Yes."

"Isaac, both you and Garet are Adepts. Maybe that's why you can tell when I'm reading your minds. Ordinary people can't see anything. There's nothing to worry about. Don't worry...I will not read your mind again."

I nodded. "Let's read the minds of those people the townspeople suspect."

We clasped hands and walked up to the man on the ledge.

_It looks like they're onto us_, he thought grimly. _We better leave as soon as possible._

Now for the ones in the Inn. As we entered their room, the closest one glared at us. "What do you want?"

The other gulped. "It looks like that weird kid is with them!"

The first shuddered. "I can't stand him. Don't let him near me!"

We chased them around the room, but no avail.

"They're acting suspicious. Something's not right..." Ivan looked rather upset.

"But you can't use Mind Read if they keep running away!" said Garet, annoyed.

"I've got an idea!" exclaimed Ivan. We looked at him for an explanation. "Maybe the three of us can surround one of them."

I looked at him skeptically.

"Don't worry!" he assured us. "This will work!"

I led the way back into the room.

"Hey, they're back!" complained one.

"Uh-oh! They're comin' for us one-on-one!" the other deduced.

"Do whatever it takes." ordered the first. "Just keep away from them, like before!"

Garet stood, blocking the doorway. I walked around one bed and Ivan walked around another, trapping the man in the middle.

"Now, Ivan!" I said.

"Okay..."

He began using Mind Read on the man. "What is this? What's he doing?" worried the possible thief. "He shut his eyes..."

"Are you done, Ivan?" asked Garet.

He nodded. We let the man free from our scissor-hold on him, and returned to the doorway.

"What did you learn?" asked Garet eagerly.

"It's them all right." confirmed Ivan. "I think they took a lot of other things as well. It looks like they've hidden it somewhere in the Inn...but they won't let me near them again."

"Then we have no choice...we have to search the Inn." Garet said.

"Yeah," I agreed. "And I have a hunch where it might be..."

Garet grinned. "Leave it to us!" he told Ivan. "Isaac always comes through!"

I walked back out of the Inn, and climbed up the ladder leading to the roof.

We faced a challenge-a large box blocked the way.

_Move_, I thought silently. It moved almost noiselessly out of the way. I hopped across the gap, hoping my hunch was right.

"Uhnnn..." said a muffled voice. "Uhhh! Huuuuuh! Uhnnn!"

My hunch was right. The man who had previously been standing outside the Inn was bound and gagged, lying on the floor. I used my sword to cut him free.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed. "I came into this loft while I was fixing the roof. But I found I couldn't get all the way to the back of the loft...so I was looking into it when WHAM! Someone whacked me in the head from behind! When I came to, I was all tied up." He looked around. "Strange...I don't remember all these crates..."

"Maybe all the stolen items are in the crates," suggested Ivan.

"Looks like we've been found out!" snarled an angry voice. The three thieves entered the room. "You're pretty persistent, kid! Why are you working so hard for Hammet? What's it to you?"  
One of them sniggered. "Hammet's already been caught by a much worse band of thieves than us, anyway!"

"What do you mean?" asked Ivan.

"I hear Hammet fled to Lunpa." another said.

"Did you say Lunpa!?" asked the man we'd freed. "A man with Master Hammet's money shouldn't go NEAR Lunpa!"

I was appalled. "What kind of place is Lunpa?" I demanded.

"The town was named after its founder, Lunpa the Righteous Thief..." explained the man.

"The family of thieves remained noble even when his son, Donpa, took over." a thief continued for him.

"But Donpa's son, Dodonpa, is an evil thief." another thief said.

"The man has no morals." shuddered the third. "I've heard he's truly vicious."

"We're not bad compared to the thieves in Lunpa, are we? Will you let us go?"

I nodded. "_If_ you return the stolen goods."

"Seriously?" asked one incredulously. "You'll let us go?"

"You must be joking!" scoffed another. "We stole this stuff fair and square!"

"We'll just have to keep you quiet!" the last one sneered.

"And there's only one way to do that! Get 'em!"

_Flint, let's see what you can do_, I instructed silently.

_Yeah! _he cheered. _Which one?_

_The one in the middle_.

Ivan smiled. "Whirlwind." he muttered.

A great tornado came rushing through, throwing one of the thieves against the wall.

The middle one glared at us. "You'll pay." He tossed a bomb at us...luckily, when it exploded, it only blinded us with a cloud of smoke.

"I can't see!" cried Garet, but the smoke cleared quickly.

"YEEE-HAH!" shrieked Flint, throwing his small body at the thief.

"Oof!" grunted the thief. "What _was _that thing?"

"You'll get it for that!" cried another thief, slicing at me with his sword. The third attacked Ivan.

While Garet called up a Flare, Ivan asked me privately, "What was that thing?"

"Flint, my Djinni." I gestured to the small creature, who was visible right now.

"Ooh...summon Venus, summon Venus!" begged Flint.

"Fine, I will."

"Ray..." I heard Ivan murmur.

The thieves were then devastated by an electric storm. I could see the teeth through the skin of the one opposite me. "Make it stop!" he groaned.

"Venus!" I shouted.

What happened happened too quickly for me to see it, but from the thieves' reactions, I knew it was powerful.

The thieves attacked Garet and me, and Garet returned a blow.

Ivan attempted to strike the thief opposite him, but the thief was too quick and jumped back. The middle thief was healing the one on the left's injuries with an herb mixture, which reminded me I had to do the same to myself. I healed myself while Garet and Ivan were further attacked.

Flint silently squeaked, _I'm set now!_

_OK, whatever. I'll call on you when I'm ready_.

Ivan was healing himself during this discussion, and I held myself at the ready while the bandit attacked me fiercely.

_Now, Flint!_

"WAA-HOOO!" Flint yelled insanely, tossing himself at the bandit, making him almost to the point of collapse. Another thief healed him with herbs, while Garet did the same to himself.

Ivan used Whirlwind again. The rightmost thief gasped and collapsed. "I can't take any more..." he said weakly.

The thief opposite Garet hurt me so badly I could barely move, but move I did. I pointed to Flint. "Venus."

The next thief attacked me, and I was starting to feel woozy. "Hang in there, buddy!" called Garet as he cast another Flare.

Ivan held the remaining thieves at bay while I cured myself.

Ahh...I thought. That feels _so _much better.

_Flint, are you set?_

_I'm ready for action!_

Ivan electrified the thieves, but one had enough strength to attack me.

_Flint!_

"YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Flint happily, rendering one foe unable to fight.

The remaining thief could not attack because he was trembling. After a blow from Ivan and another from me, he relented like the others, dropping his sword. I picked the sword up and hefted it. Not as good as my sword, but I guessed we could sell it, anyway.

"They got us..." moaned a thief.

"Actually, for a second there, I thought we were goners." admitted the man I'd freed. Who's this "we"? I thought to myself.

He walked over to the bandits. "Wow! We won!" he exclaimed. "I-I'll get the mayor!"

"After all the trouble we went to, stealing all this stuff..." grumbled one of the thieves.

Garet glared at them. "Haven't you heard? Stealing from others is wrong!"

"Sheesh!" complained another. "I told you we should have skipped town!"

"Evil never prevails!" declared Garet.

Ivan turned to me. "If you'll give me the Shaman's Rod, I'll head to Lunpa now."

"We will." I agreed. "But wait for the mayor to get here."

Ivan nodded. "What will you two be doing, Isaac?"

"I suppose we have to go after Felix and the others..." answered Garet.

Ivan began reading my mind.

"He's reading out minds again!" cried Garet indignantly. "Shouldn't we stop him?"

"Yes." I agreed, but it was too late. He was done.

"I see...So that's what happened..." Ivan said slowly.

The man reentered the room. "These are the thieves, Mayor..." he introduced, gesturing at the bandits. The mayor and two men-bodyguards?-came with him.

"What you did was horrid." the mayor scolded. "Stealing in the middle of a disaster!?!" He looked almost like he could be related to our mayor in Vale, he was so mad.

"Hey, you practically invited us to steal!" protested a bandit. "Hey-ouch!"

"Sorry," apologized the formerly tied-up man. "I couldn't help myself."

"What should we do with them?" one of the men asked the mayor.

"We're going to lock them up for a long, long time." he decided grimly.

We bound them up. The leader glared at me. "Hey...Isaac?! I won't forget this!"

"Take them away!" commanded the mayor. After the thieves had been herded off to jail, the mayor thanked us, and walked past, opening the chests to discover stolen items. The mayor found his urn in the first chest, a gold statue in the next chest, and Hammet's prized Shaman's Rod in the last.

"I'm afraid this won't do you much good," sighed the mayor. "I believe your Master Hammet has been kidnapped."

"How can I save him?" asked Ivan frantically.

"No one can enter once the gates are closed."

"What will happen to Master Hammet?"

"He is probably alive and unharmed. They wouldn't hurt such a precious captive!" comforted the mayor.

Then he turned to me. "Your name is Isaac, right?"

"Yes, sir." I answered politely.

"And you are...?"  
"It's Garet." he replied.

"Thank you both." continued the mayor. "You have my deepest gratitude. Let's go then." Stopping near the doorway directly in front of us, he added, "Before you leave town, please come see me. I have something for you."

"What a mess." Garet complained. "We finally get the rod back and now this."

Ivan sighed.

"I wish I could cheer you up." said Garet.

"I just want to rescue Master Hammet. That's all. But I couldn't ask you two to help me. You have a very important mission, right? I saw it in your minds. I had no idea that the eruption held such a secret!"

"Yeah, we have to find Felix and his gang or everyone'll be in real trouble." Garet agreed.

"Then, I suppose this is good-bye, then." Ivan sounded wistful.

"Yes," I agreed. "But maybe we'll meet again someday."

Ivan retrieved the Shaman's Rod from the chest, and left, stopping to say, "I shall never forget this town's hospitality...I wish you all the best."

"Well, I guess we'd better get moving, too." Garet reminded me sadly.

I smiled. "But first, I think we need some well-deserved rest! Let's stay at this Inn tonight."

"OK," he agreed.

The innkeepers were very gracious, and as I laid my head on my pillow that night I thought about our busy, busy, day...


	8. The Crossing of the Paths

Disclaimer: By now, you ought to know that I DON'T OWN GOLDEN SUN!!!

A/N: Hurray! Another checked chapter!

We stopped by the mayor's house after eating slightly burnt toasted bread (courtesy of Garet). He thanked us and handed me a small glass jar of what he called "Water of Life". "Are you heading out beyond Goma Range, by any chance?"

I shrugged. "I guess..."

"Look for a cave in the mountains of the Goma Range, northeast of us." he instructed. "Once you've passed it, you'll reach Bilibin." Bilibin? Another town? I didn't know there were so many other towns than Vale!

We left Vault.

"Northeast, northeast," I muttered, so I wouldn't forget.

_I'll help you remember!_ said Flint, who I'd put on set after the battle. _NORTHEAST, Isaac! NORTHEAST!!!_

_I don't need that kind of help!_ I mentally shouted.

_Northeast, northeast!_ the Djinni chanted. _Northeast!_

Walking through a grove of trees, we were suddenly attacked. I was scared to see that one of the attackers was a ghost!

I had a sudden idea. "Quake..." I murmured. The ground shook underneath the attackers. After a few sword strikes, it was all over. (I don't know how we hurt a ghost with a sword...)

While we were crossing a bridge, I could see what might have been the entrance to the cave. We crossed a broken bridge, and Garet pushed this big pillar out of the way so we could scale the ladder. I used Move to clear another pillar out of the way.

But then we faced a dead end. A tree trunk was sitting at the only place we could go, and we couldn't Move it. Garet tried burning the vines tying it to the spot but the trunk stayed rooted and the vines didn't burn.

"It's no use!" cried Garet in despair. "Our Psynergy isn't strong enough to free that stump."

"Yeah," I agreed, depressed.

"You want to move the stump, right?" asked a quiet, familiar voice.

I jumped and turned around to see a small blonde boy with huge, observant lavender eyes. He was inspecting the stump. "It looks like it's trapped in the ivy." Ivan observed. Glancing at our upset faces, he added, "Isn't there anything we can do?"

We?

He put on a determined look. Finally, he smiled and exclaimed, "I know!"

"What is it, Ivan?" I asked, but he paid me no attention.

"I have a great idea. Leave it to me!" Ivan turned to the stump and used his Whirlwind Psynergy that he'd used in the battle against the thieves. It cleared away the ivy, freeing the stump.

"All right, Ivan!" cheered Garet.

Ivan looked very proud. "I did it!"

Garet, looking confused, said, "Thanks for the help...But why are you here, Ivan?"

He looked downcast. "I couldn't get into Lunpa..."

"I'm sorry, Ivan." I said sincerely.

"Don't get me wrong!" he explained defensively. "I didn't come to ask for help."

"What did you come for?"

"Your quest has been on my mind ever since I left Vault. I couldn't just leave, not with all those terrible things happening. If I can't rescue Master Hammet, then I want to help you! Please, allow me to join your quest." Ivan was starting to sound rather like Flint.

"Of course, Ivan. We need all the help we can get." I agreed gratefully.

"Are you trying to get to Bilibin through this cave?" asked Ivan.

"Yeah," said Garet.

"Then let's go!"

I Moved the stump easily and we hopped over the gap.

"Looks like we need to use Whirlwind again," Ivan smiled. He cleared away the vine-coated wall to reveal a door.

We entered.


	9. Ponderings and Problems

Disclaimer: Listen, I DON'T OWN GOLDEN SUN! If I did...well, let's say there'd be some major changes.

A/N: A short one again. Don't worry, the next one ought to be long...I hope, anyways.

Another one done!

Inside, we battled a lot of monsters-too bad they were all the type that's undead. What I wouldn't have done for some wolf meat. My stomach rumbled.

We met a man in the cave.

"Good morning...afternoon...evening...I'm not sure what time it is." I smiled apologetically.

"Did you see something strange over there?" the man demanded, pointing to a nearby ledge. "I fought it, but it fled. When I returned, I saw it again... I wonder if it likes this place."

"That's another Djinni!" Flint informed me, now on standby. "A Mars Djinni! Get him!"  
"I can't reach him from here!" I protested. "Here." I pushed the stone pillar into place.

I hopped across a gap and headed down some stairs. After what seemed like an hour, we reached a dead end. I used Move on the stump and pushed it off the platform, hoping it went somewhere useful.

As we walked, I thought about what the other group was doing. Where were they? Would we ever catch up to them? I imagined what Jenna was doing right now...probably walking, just like us. What was she thinking about? Me? Felix? Saturos and Menardi? Something else?

What was Felix doing? What was he thinking? What could he _possibly_ be thinking? Maybe he was sorry about pulling Jenna into this, I thought as I absentmindedly summoned Venus.

I wondered where they were. They might be anywhere! But since they'd just recently left Vault, like us...maybe they were just barely ahead of us. Maybe they were even in the cave with us.

I shivered, and it wasn't because of the frosty air in the cave. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. They wouldn't have been able to enter without a Jupiter Adept, unless they had followed us in here...

Garet nudged me. "Isaac! Heads up! Skeletons at 10 o' clock!"

I looked up immediately at the skeleton warriors battling Ivan. "Sorry!" I called to Ivan, knocking off one of the skulls with the flat of my blade.

"If...you're...helping...it's...all right..." he panted back, parrying a blow.

Garet finally called to us, "Stand back!"

We retreated from the skeletons. Our swords weren't doing any good-if you knocked off a skeleton's head, it just reached down and picked it up again.

"Fire." he muttered, waving his arms. A fireball zoomed from his outstretched hands to the warriors, successfully cremating them.

"How'd you do that?" I asked, breathless.

"I don't really know," he said, shrugging. "It just...came to me."

Finally, we hopped over to the Djinni.

"Hi!" squeaked Flint. He turned to us. "To tell you the truth," he added in a low whisper, "I don't know who that is."

"Why not?" Garet asked curiously. "I mean, you're a Djinni!"

"I don't know Mars Djinn as well as Venus Djinn," he answered haughtily.

"M-mars Djinn?" Garet sounded horrified. I smiled back at him.

"Now you'll know what it's like," I said, trying to hide my amused expression.

"I'll-" Garet started, but I never found out what he was going to do, because just then...the Djinni attacked!

I blocked the attempted blow to Ivan, then got ready to summon Venus. Ivan used a Whirlwind, and the Djinni spun around dizzily.

"Flint!"

The Djinni winced at the summon, but it attacked Garet.

"Hey!" said Garet indignantly. "I'm a Mars Adept! What have you got against me?"

He hit the Djinni back in retaliation. Ivan glared back at the Djinni and hit it also.

"Earthquake." I said quietly. The ground shook, tossing the Djinni against the wall. The Mars Djinni cast a Flare and burnt Ivan pretty badly.

_I'm set!_

"Ray," mumured Ivan, and the Djinni was promptly electrocuted.

"Fine," the Djinni muttered sulkily. "I'll join you."

Flint suddenly put himself on standby. "Oh, it's you, Forge!" he cried excitedly.

Forge looked about like he might just fight us again, but then slumped. "Hi, Flint."

He dragged himself over to Garet. Garet looked relieved at the fact that Forge was nowhere near as talkative.

"What do you do?" Garet asked him. Forge looked up at him. "I boost party attack with flame's fury." he said dully.

He yawned, then told Garet, "If it's ok to you, I want to go on set." From the look on Garet's face, I could tell he had not been listening to Flint's speech on Djinn.

"Sure..." said Garet nervously. Forge closed his eyes and disappeared. Garet gulped and ran his fingers through his hair. "It feels weird..."

Ivan looked rather nervous, too. "I hope Jupiter Djinn aren't too bad."

"Oh...well, they're a bit...obsessive, sometimes, but really they're ok!" Flint assured him.

Ivan did not seem reassured by this statement.

Flint promptly disappeared on set, commenting, _I hope you'll find another Venus Djinni soon!_

The horror must have shown on my face, because Ivan asked, "What did he say?"

"He said he hopes I can get another Venus Djinni soon. I guess we better get moving."

Ivan and Garet followed me up the stairs. I used Move to get a stump out of my way, then continued on. Over a rickety bridge...

Outside, the sunlight burned my eyes. It was late afternoon, I figured, as we stood around, soaking up the warmth and adjusting our eyes to the light. I could see Bilibin just a short walk away.

"I guess we better head to Bilibin," said Garet finally.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Let's go."


	10. Refusal

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: A longer chapter!

This is the last one I plan to check.

Even just from the entrance, I could tell that Bilibin was a bigger than Vault had been. The town apparently had a wall all around it. To keep out intruders? I wondered. Vale had had no use for such things.

At the entrance was a small tree-looking thing, but from the minute I saw it, I knew it was no tree. "It's a person," I told Garet and Ivan.

Ivan stepped forward. "Let me use my Mind Read," he requested. He concentrated a second. He opened his eyes. "You are correct-it is human. Or at least, it _used_ to be human."

Garet shuddered.

"Welcome to Bilibin!" greeted the first man we talked to. "Please, just ignore that strange tree out front. Many warriors have been sent to Kolima."

Kolima? Another town?

"Good afternoon," I said pleasantly to the first woman I saw. "Heard any news?"

"Good afternoon." she replied. "A group of travelers crossed the Goma Range, heading toward Imil. They stopped by Bilibin, but only for a night at the Inn."

Saturos and Menardi were still ahead of us. I sighed. At this rate we'd never catch up to them.

"Any news about Imil?" I asked a man. "We're, uh...thinking about going there."

"The snow is already piling up in Imil, and the weather is freezing. If I were you, I'd wait until spring to go there." he advised. That was no use. It was only late fall, so waiting was not an option.

We spent most of our shared money on weapons and armor, leaving a small pile of coins for the Inn this night.

I climbed the steps leading to the Sanctum, then I winked at Ivan and Garet. "Wish me luck," I said as I took one step, then another, on the wall that surrounded the city. Ivan and Garet followed. I was feeling a little queasy, but I reminded myself these walls were wooden-part of the Earth element. Finally we reached a moss-covered doorway.

"Allow me," Ivan cast Whirlwind, revealing the entrance to a cave. I entered first, and climbed down the ladder.

There was a glowing statue made of pure gold blocking our way-I used Move on it.

Inside the small compartment was what I guessed to be a Jupiter Djinni.

"Oh, brave and mighty rescuers!" she chirped, fluttering around excitedly. "You have come to save me from the evil depths of the earth...somewhere no self-respecting Jupiter Djinni should be! But that evil lord, he locked me in here! You _are_ here to save me, aren't you?!" She eyed us suspiciously.

Then she caught sight of Ivan. "A Jupiter Adept! Oh, wonderful and noble rescuers, you are Adepts!" I wondered if she ever ended a sentence with a period instead of an exclamation point.

"I will forever be in your debt! I know! I'll help you! I've got a great attack! I really do!"

Flint and Forge suddenly appeared on standby.

Flint squeaked, "Hi, Gust! Great to see you!"

"Flint!" Gust exclaimed, hopping up and down. "And Forge! You too are in debt to these noble Adepts?!"

Forge hid his face in his hands, groaning. "...Hello, Gust..."

"Oh, this will be great!" Gust squealed, annoying Forge even more.

"Can't you turn her off?" complained Forge.

Gust ignored him. "You know what I can do?!" she asked Ivan.

"What?" replied Ivan warily.

"I can Attack with mighty wind gusts!" she answered excitedly. "Ooh! I'm going to go on set now! I want to see where I'll be living! See ya, Flint!" Gust disappeared with a whooshing noise.

"I'm going back on set." Forge said sulkily. "I can't believe that we had to be so cursed as to have Gust around..."

"They're going to get all of us," Flint informed him. "So you'd have to deal with her sooner or later...After all, you _do_ want to see _Ember_ again, am I right?"

If Forge had been some other color instead of red I'm sure he would have blushed. "Be quiet," he growled, disappearing.

Flint went back on set, also.

_I'm glad you got Gust_, he thought at me, _but I want you to pick up a Venus Djinni next! Please, please, please!_

_I'll do my best_, I promised him silently.

Once we were safely back in the middle of town, I decided, "It's time for us to see this lord. Let's head up to the palace."

We met the snooty Lady McCoy outside. "Are you telling me that I'm responsible for this?" she demanded haughtily after I raised the subject of the castle.

"Well..."

"If anyone is a victim, I am! I've been waiting for my palace for _months!_" she complained.

I gave up in digust and walked over to the guards.

"The lord will only meet with mighty warriors," sneered the guard.

"We are mighty warriors!" Garet declared, furious. "You want to fight us?"  
"Uh..." The guard shook his head. "Umm...If you want to come in, I'll take you to the lord."

"We do want entrance." I ordered.

"Follow me," said the other guard, leaving his place at the entrance.

The palace was magnificent. I didn't see the guard anywhere, so I led the way down the red carpet to what I hoped was where Lord McCoy was.

We entered to find the guard talking to McCoy.

"Why don't you come closer?" ordered McCoy. He looked surprised when we came up. "Hey, are these the ones yeh were talkin' about?"

"Y-yes, m'lord."

"They're but children!" McCoy exclaimed. He turned to us. "And yeh expect me tae believe yeh can save Kolima?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes," I said bravely. "We can save Kolima."

"Hmmm. Well, I'll grant yeh're a brave lot." He placed a key on the table. "This key'll get yeh past the barricade tae the east...But...even with the key, such wee lads as yerselves'll never reach Kolima."

"He's making fun of us!" Garet protested angrily. "That's just irritating, don't you think, Isaac?"  
I glared at him. "Yesitis," I said quickly out of the corner of my mouth. "Butwedonnotneedtogetonhisbadsideotherwisewewon'tgetpastthebarricadeandtoSaturosandMenardimaybe!"

"We'll just have to prove we can take this job!" he said fiercely.

"So yeh've decided to accept our little job?"

"Hey, Ivan! You don't look too enthusiastic." Garet observed. That was the understatement of the year, I thought, staring at Ivan's glum face.

"That curse can turn a man into a tree! You think we stand a chance?"  
"Ivan!" I hissed. "Don't! Weneedhimtohelp!"

Garet looked confused. "Of course we do! You know we do, right, Isaac?"

"Yes." I said firmly.

"Well...I guess I'm in." Ivan agreed, biting his lip. He still didn't look convinced.

"At least we all agree on something!" McCoy said.

"What troubles you, m'lord?" worried the guard. "They seem willing enough."

"They call themselves warriors, but they're naught but wee children!" McCoy protested. "Aye, these are desperate times, but I cannae send wee lads tae their doom!" He swiped the key back off the table and dropped it in his pocket.

"Then what will happen to Kolima Forest?" asked the guard.

"We cannae give up hope on our other champions!" he declared.

"But what about us?" asked Ivan, hurt.

"We cannae send yeh intae certain doom!"

"What if we said we were going east anyway?" demanded Garet.

McCoy shook his head. "Yeh'll have to wait. Yeh can go when things have settled down."

"You're not going to let us go?" Ivan asked incredulously.

McCoy looked almost apologetic. "Ach, it's fer yer own good, laddie. I dinnae want tae talk about it anymore."

The guard looked at us, "I'm sorry, but you should leave now."

I nodded, and we left the room.

"Your name is...Isaac? I'm sorry you were rejected." said the guard."I never, ever, expected something like this to happen to us here in Bilibin. Will you promise me you won't go to Kolima?"

"No, I'm sorry. I can't promise you that." I told him firmly.

"You are persistent, aren't you? That barricade...you might not need a key. I've said too much. I have to go now." The guard left, presumably for his post. With one last look at the room with Lord McCoy inside, I followed him to the exit.

It was evening now, and I was exhausted and hungry. "Let's go to the Inn now," I said to Garet and Ivan.

"Good idea," agreed Garet, smacking his lips. "Maybe it's not too late for dinner..."


	11. It's Too Quiet

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GOLDEN SUN!!!

A/N: Another longer one! I'm on a roll.

_WAKE UP, sleepyhead! _Flint mentally yelled at me. I yawned and glanced at the hourglass on the wall. 6:00! I got up quickly.

Ivan was missing from his bed, but Garet was still sleeping like a rock.

"Wake him up!" complained Forge, climbing up onto Garet's head. "I can't get him to wake up!"

I yelled. I shook him. Finally, I had to go to extreme results.

"Earthquake," I muttered. Garet was promptly flung out of bed by the quake.

"Wha-? What happened?" he asked sleepily.

At the exit to Bilibin, I gave one last look at the tree.

"What are we going to do, anyway?" wondered Garet.

"We're going to try to get through that barricade, of course," answered Ivan before I had a chance to open my mouth.

After a half-hour extremely boring walk, we saw the barricade.

"We can get through that, easy," Garet said confidently. I agreed-the barricade was only a few crates piled on top of each other.

"I think if I push that one this way..." I concentrated on Move. The box moved without destroying the barricade. I Moved it back to its place when we were safely on the other side.

Another group of the tree-people were standing there, on top of each others' shoulders. I passed them with a shudder.

We continued past Kolima Forest. Ivan stared at me. "Shouldn't we go in there?"

I shook my head. "No, let's go to Kolima the town first."

Entering the town, Garet shivered. "It's so quiet."

The houses were built out of trees, and tree-people were frozen in place in various parts of the village. Bits of sparkling _something_ were shining in places around the town.

"Deathly quiet," I agreed.

Ivan walked over to the nearest tree-person as if in a trance. He bit his lip and concentrated on the tree. He looked alarmed.

"What's wrong?" asked Garet.

"This tree was a person..." he murmured.

"Well, yeah!" said Garet. "Everyone in Kolima has been turned into trees. Why? Do you know why this happened?" he asked me.

"No, of course not!" I answered, confused. "How could I?"

Ivan turned back to the tree-person.

"What is it now, Ivan?" asked Garet, annoyed.

"That sparkly stuff all over-what is it?"

"I don't know!" I exclaimed. Suddenly, the sky turned dark. I could feel Psynergy that was not my own flooding through my body.

"What's happening?" cried Garet.

"My mind! Someone is attacking my mind!" shrieked Ivan.

"I...can't...take it..." I grunted. I felt like every bone in my body had been broken. And not just my body. My mind felt like it was being ripped apart. There had to be some way to stop it!

Garet and Ivan collapsed also, hugging the ground fiercely, hoping it would stop.

"What's that?" wondered Garet. "Something is falling from the sky!"

"It's sparkling!" Ivan exclaimed.

"You mean..." My voice trailed off. I didn't have enough strength to continue speaking.

"This could be the stuff that...we've got to...get out of here!" Ivan struggled to get up.

I imitated him, but no luck. We were stuck fast, too exhausted-feeling to move.

I could feel a strange pulse in my mind and throughout my body. I could see a Psynergetic dome around me. I braced myself for the transformation into a tree. But nothing happened.

"Isaac? What just happened? That barrier, did it save us?"

"Yes, it did. I don't understand it, but it did."

"I think so, too." agreed Ivan. "I think I know what those domes were. It was our Psynergy."  
Garet hopped up. "You're crazy! I didn't use any Psynergy!"

"Garet," I requested. "Just listen. _I _think it makes sense..."

"Hey... I can stand!" realized Garet. "Ivan, Isaac, it's okay! Get up!"

I thought it was ironic that now he was ordering me to get up just like I had done this morning. I transferred my weight to my hands and sat up, yawned, then stood up.

"Those barriers," continued Ivan. "We thought that Psynergy was only used when we concentrate, right?"

"Uh-huh," I agreed.

"Anyway, I'm sure it was Psynergy. That must mean that some Psynergy acts only when you need it."

"You mean, like when we're in trouble or something?" Garet looked startled.

Ivan nodded.

"It's like when we strike critical hits in battle," I compared. "It's there when we need it."

"Wouldn't it be something if we could use this at any time, huh, Isaac?" Garet asked excitedly.

"Yeah."

The sky turned dark again and the sparkles started falling.

"Watch out!" warned Ivan.

I could feel the barriers reappearing.

"Hroom! Why? Why don't they turn into trees?" demanded a mysterious, deep voice.

"Who are they?" asked another voice, female and gentle. "What people are these, who are immune to Tret's Glamour? Have they come to save the village with these powers? It will not be enough to save those of Kolima."

"They have earned their fate." grated the first voice. "Kolima took their axes to me, and I shall take mine to them!"

"You children may not know this...but we are dying," the second said sorrowfully. "And Kolima Forest will wither and die when we are gone."

"We are not the only ones who will die, Laurel," continued the first. "Once we are gone, they will go, also!" He sounded rather happy at this pronouncement.

"Tret was once a kindly forest king." explained Laurel. "But he is slowly dying, and his heart has been torn in two...His wrathful side turned the people of Kolima into trees. The kind Tret speaks no more."

"The kindly heart invites destruction!" pronounced Tret.

"If you wish to save those who have been turned into trees you must reawaken his gentle side. Look for Tret deep within the forest."

The sky turned light, the sparkles stopped falling, and our Psynergetic domes went back down.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" worried Ivan.

"We can try to save Tret," I said doubtfully. It seemed rather hopeless to me, but I wasn't going to say that aloud after Ivan's breakdown in Bilibin.

"How?"

"I really don't have any ideas right now," Ivan looked upset. "But I'm sure we'll think of something."

"Let's get on with it!" exclaimed Garet.

Walking around Kolima was very disheartening. And then I spotted a Venus Djinni, hidden in a fence.

_Go get him!_ cried Flint silently. _Go on! It's a Venus Djinni! _

I found a secret back entrance to the nearby house and went down the ladder. It led down to another cave. At the end of the tunnel, we found steps leading up to the surface and to the Djinni.

Flint popped into visibility.

"Granite!" he squeaked excitedly. The Djinni turned to us.

"Flint?" he asked in disbelief. "I can't believe it's you! Some lumberjack took me from the forest and hid me here and oh I'm so glad to see you and are there any other of us here?" He said all this very quickly. I groaned. A Flint clone, I thought, just what I needed.

"Granite's my best friend," Flint explained to me, then turned back and started chatting with Granite again. "No other Venus Djinn, but Forge and Gust are here!"

At the sound of their names, the Djinn put themselves on standby.

"Granite! Oh! How great to see you! I haven't seen you in so long! Isn't this neat! Goody!" called Gust, fluttering around madly.

"Hi, Granite." said Forge unenthusiastically, looking as though he wanted to run quickly in the other direction.

"Hi, Forge! Hi, Gust!" greeted Granite. "So...Flint! Show me where I'll be!"

"Sure!" exclaimed Flint happily.

Granite looked up at me. "By the way, I Create a mighty earthen barrier! See ya!"

I could hear them jabbering madly in my head.

_I hope we find Quartz next!_ cried Granite hopefully.

_Vine first._ corrected Flint. He laughed. _Speaking of Quartz, wouldn't she _love_ to know this?_

_Most definitely!_ agreed Granite. _This'll be fun..._

That's exactly what I think it won't be, I thought to myself...


	12. Tret's Troubles

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

We backtracked to Kolima Forest. I shivered on entering the forest. This place was creepier than Kolima the town.

I idly pushed a few fallen trees out of my way, still preoccupied about Saturos and Menardi. Were they, even now, lighting an Elemental Lighthouse? How were you supposed to light one, anyway?

I came to another fallen log.

"Wait," warned Ivan. He stared at the log. "Don't push it."  
"Why not?" Garet protested.

Ivan sighed and led the way down below the log. Moving another log, he pointed. Pushing that log we'd passed wouldn't have done us any good.

We passed a nut hanging on a tree.

"Mmm," hummed Garet. "I'm hungry, and that nut looks like a nice snack. Use Catch, Isaac!"

I grasped the beads in my hand and used the recommended Psynergy.

"Well?" demanded Garet. "Aren't you going to give it to me?"

I stared at the nut. "This is no ordinary nut." I realized. "This is a Druminat nut."

"What's that?" asked Garet.

"It's a healing nut, isn't it?" Ivan answered. "It's supposed to have strong healing properties, I think."

I nodded. "Yeah, Jenna's mother taught us about these before-" I cut off. I couldn't bear to think about the accident, especially now that Father-Isaac, don't get your hopes up. Just stop thinking about it. I pocketed the nut.

Entering the next large clearing, Ivan stopped us with his hand. "Don't do anything." he instucted. "I'll tell you which ones to move."

Logs were placed strategically all around the clearing. Ivan stared at them for a few minutes, then smiled.

"I've got it," he said joyfully. "Push _that_ log to the left," he ordered, gesturing at a fallen tree.

Garet loped over to the log and heaved against it, effectively moving it.

"Push that one down."

I raced to the next and moved it.

"Now push the first back to the right." Ivan said, a faraway look in his eyes. "And then push _this_ one down. Now, move this one up."

After following his instructions, he smiled. "Now, go around and push this log."

The final log made it possible for us to cross the deep water. We ascended the short steps and walked on the ledge above.

"Monster alert!" Garet warned.

_Flint!_ I called mentally.

_Yes, sir!_ he exclaimed joyfully.

Gust flew out of nowhere, causing a small whirlwind to rip through the enemy. "Yay!" she called out happily. "I am repaying my debt to you noble Adepts!"

Gust and Flint finished the monsters off, clearing the path.

The next clearing had a lake filled with water, floating logs, and a floodgate. I flipped the floodgate switch, seeing one that needed replacing. The water seeped out, and I walked down the stairs and adjusted the log.

I hit the switch again and led the way on the floating logs, trying to be careful not to fall off. Garet was grinning and pretending to knock us off the logs. Then he stopped, and started sinking into the water.

"Help! Help!" he cried. Ivan rushed to the side of the log.

Garet laughed and hopped back on the log, perfectly safe. Ivan was surprised, and almost _did_ fall off the log.

A great tree shaded the next area. When I approached it, I gasped. It was not a tree; or, at any rate, not merely a tree. A woody face rested in the center of the trunk. I guessed this must be Laurel.

She finally noticed me. "Who are you?" she asked in that woody voice. "Oh! You are the ones who resisted Tret's Glamour?"

"Yes..." I trailed off. I wasn't sure whether to actually call her "ma'am", since I wasn't sure she was a she. Maybe she liked to be known as an "it".

"I sense a great warmth within you." she breathed. "If you came to rescue Tret, you are already too late. Soon, Tret will die, and we shhhall withhher withhhout hhhim. Leave nowww, before thhhhis ffforrresstt isss dessstroyed." She was sounding more and more like a tree; I guessed it was an effect of Tret's dying. She closed her eyes and would speak no more.

We left her and walked over to Tret.

"Hello," I said cautiously. Tret did not answer. A voice, deep inside Tret but not Tret-or at least, not the Tret who stood rooted in front of me, intoned, "He will not speak to you, child! I control all in Tret's realm!"

There was a vine ladder weaving up Tret. I climbed it and entered the hollow inside Tret.

Inside, there was a maze of sorts and another vine ladder in the northwest corner.

Up on the next floor, we saw a huge spider web. I didn't want to see the spider that made that web.

Garet turned pale. "Be-be-behind you!"

I turned. Two huge spiders and two large bees were grouped behind me. Ivan acted first, summoning Jupiter. A ghostly shadow of a Jupiter Djinni caused winds to torment the enemies. Garet used his axe to hack up a spider, and I summoned Flint back as Venus.

They were still alive after this (except for the spider), and the bees attacked, stinging us horribly. The lone spider attempted to weave a web around Garet, but I sliced it off with my blade.

Ivan struck a blow to the spider, but it hardly seemed to notice it. I used my sword to slice up one of the bees while Garet did the same. But Garet's bee still had time to sting him fiercely, and the spider bit Ivan. I could only hope it wasn't poisonous.

The spider resisted Ivan's attempt to hurt him with Gust, and Ivan staggered weakly as the spider attacked him. He still had enough strength to attack the spider with Jupiter, finally defeating it.

I rushed over to Ivan and mixed my herbs with some water from the leather canteen and made it into a paste by punching it with my hands. I applied the mixture on Ivan's wounds. It deadened the pain instantly, I could tell.

I used another identical paste on Garet's bites. My wounds weren't deep enough to waste the herbs and water on.

Hopping on the first fallen and huge leaf, I noted that it crumbled slightly. It would hold the three of us, but not much more.

We exited Tret and walked along his branches. I found another ladder to climb, and we reentered him by way of another doorway.

There were more spiderwebs, and I spied a chest in about the middle of the room. We hopped onto a leaf, and I opened the chest, which contained a ring.

"I wonder what it does," wondered Ivan.

"What do you mean?" Garet asked.

"It's obviously a magic ring. I mean..." But then he cut off. I'd been absentmindedly twisting the ring around my finger.

"I-isaac...Your bites..." Ivan pointed. I glanced down, confused. My stings had been somehow healed.

"That ring!" gasped Garet.

I slipped it off my finger and handed it to Ivan. "Here, you can have it. You get hurt more easily."  
Ivan nodded.

"Well, come on," I said, gesturing to the ladder. I hopped off the small platform and over onto the leaf...

"Aah!" I shouted. I could see Ivan and Garet staring down at me.

I realized I had fallen to the previous floor. "I'm going around!" I yelled up at them.

"Okay!" replied Garet. "We'll try to get this leaf fixed."

By the time I'd returned, the leaf was in place and Ivan and Garet were waiting for me. We hopped back over the leaf and to the vine ladder.

We left Tret again for the branches, and at the highest limb we could reach we found...a Jupiter Djinni!

Flint popped out on standby. "Hi..."  
"Flint!" exclaimed the Djinni. Then he fired himself from the branch and into my face.

"Flint," I muttered, "what does he have against you?"  
"Well...nothing, unless he's Breeze."

Gust flew out, scolding, "These are brave and noble Adepts and I will not allow you to hurt them!" She flung herself, whirlwinds following, at the Djinni.

The Djinni used some sort of Psynergy, electrocuting Garet and me.

"Flint."

"You gotcha! WAHOOOOO!" he yelled insanely. Venus was summoned immediately.

"Flare Wall," Garet closed his eyes. A huge fire spread across the Djinni's body.

_Granite, we need you_. I called silently.

_Yay!_

He appeared and floated over us. "There!" he cried happily, landing beside me. "You're protected!"

Ivan summoned Jupiter, and the Djinni attacked him back. Garet hit him with his axe.

_I'm set!_ Flint exclaimed.

Ivan attacked the Djinni, but it didn't appear to feel any pain. It used a powerful Psynergy that devastated us. Garet was barely able to stand.

Flint and Garet hurt the Djinni considerably with their attacks.

Gust attacked the Djinni again, squealing, "You make me feel ashamed that you're a Jupiter Djinni!"

When I summoned Ramses for the first time, I was amazed. It transported us to some sandy land, and some sort of statue attacked the Djinni and finished him off.

"I'll join you," Breeze agreed. "As long as I don't have to share an Adept with _him_." He shot an evil glare at me, apparently directed at Flint.

"Don't worry," Ivan assured him. "You'll be staying with me."

"I Boost party Resistance," Breeze informed him. "I suppose I'll go on set, since _he's _on standby now."

I jumped in surprise, and, sure enough, Flint was standing right next to my boot. "Hmph!" commented Flint.

On the next floor, we discovered more spiderwebs-and-leaves, plus a treasure chest containing another Druminat.

Ivan stared at the leaves. "There is no possible way to pass these leaves," he decided. "We must retreat down to the previous floor."

I led the way by dropping down the web. We left the room by the west exit this time. Traveling along the limbs again, we reached the other side of the same room.

There was no ladder.

"Where are we supposed to go?" wondered Garet.

I smiled. "I think it has something to do with those holes on each floor."  
"I agree," agreed Ivan. "It should be just about...here." He pointed to a leaf. "We must break that leaf."

Ivan's idea worked. We stepped carefully, breaking only the correct leaf.

I felt very queasy, falling at least six floors. Venus Adepts are meant for land, not...air...

Finally, we landed. I could see what I guessed was Tret's other self, but it didn't seem to notice us.

"Garet, Ivan." I instructed. "I need to heal you."  
I used my healing Psynergy on them. They smiled at the relief at their wounds.

"Why...oh." said Ivan quietly. "I see. We may have to fight him."

"Yes," I was hoping it wouldn't be so.

"Hm HROOM!" grunted Tret.

He opened his eyes, glaring at us. "You hoped to find my kindly self?" he demanded.

"Uh...yeah." I said, scared.

"Fools! You should never have come here, and now you shall never leave! Your powers protected you in the forest, but now you are in the heart of my power!" he sneered. "Here, you will all become trees, and you'll wither with the rest of us!"

"Jupiter!" cried Ivan fiercely. Tret looked taken aback.

_Flint!_ I mentally summoned.

"TAKE THAT, you mean tree!" yelled Flint, launching himself at Tret.

The ground beneath Garet erupted with thorns. "Ouch!" he cried.

"Flare Wall!" he growled.

_Granite!_ I ordered.

"Protected!" he declared happily.

"Ray!" called Ivan.

The ground erupted again, this time beneath both Garet and Ivan.

Garet rushed forward and attacked Tret.

"You will not hurt these noble Adepts!" shouted Gust, flinging herself at him.

I summoned Ramses again.

"Sleep..." commanded Tret. "Sleep..."  
I couldn't resist his demands. I blacked out.

When I awoke, Garet was asleep beside me and Ivan was breathing hard. I discovered Flint was set now.

Ivan summoned Jupiter, screwing his face up in concentration.

_Flint..._ I called.

Flint attacked Tret again.

"Sleep..." Tret soothed. "Sleep..."

I couldn't resist his calls. Yawning, I closed my eyes.

When I awoke fot the second time, Garet was just waking up, but he was scarred.

"I'm glad you woke up..." panted Ivan. "I've been sweating blood..." He concentrated, and Tret was electrocuted.

Tret collapsed, dropping a large bag of coins and a jar.

"Oh...mmmm." Tret grunted. "What has happened to me? Was I...I see...my heart was all but lost in my rage. And you defeated the evil within me?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

"I thank you. I could not leave this world with so much evil in my heart. I am free now to leave the world without regret. Goodbye, great warriors."

"Tret," I said worriedly, "what about the people of Kolima? They are still trees, aren't they?"

"What?" Tret sounded confused. "I turned the people of Kolima into trees? I must release them!"

He concentrated, and I could see the Psynergy flowing from his mind.

"I can't do it..." he said weakly. "My powwwer no longer reaches Koleeema. People of Koleeema...Foorgivve mee..."

He faded away.

"Tret's too weak! He doesn't have the power to save Kolima!" Garet said in despair.

"No! We have to heal him!" Ivan said. "We can't let the people of Kolima die with the forest! We have to restore Tret!"

"You're right, Ivan." I agreed. "We'll have to find some way to save him."

I ascended the ladder leading to the second floor, and then I climbed back down outside Tret.

"Maybe Laurel will know something about healing Tret." Garet suggested.

But she had nothing to say, except to warn us to leave.

"Let me use my Mind Read." Ivan requested.

_The healing waters of Mercury Lighthouse near Imil in the northwest from Bilibin might save Tret...But the fountain's water has long since dried up... _thought Laurel.

"That's no help!" I cried in exasperation. "I guess we better go back to pursuing Saturos and Menardi. Now we at least know how to get to where they are. I think we better go to this 'Imil'..."

A/N: Remember to review! Yes, I do have anonymous reviews turned ON, so you other people have no reason not to review.


	13. Responsibility

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun...

A/N: I was spoiling you, wasn't I? With all those long chapters. This one is another short one, but don't worry! The next one'll be longer.

I used my Retreat Psynergy to leave Kolima Forest, and I raced to the barricade. I pushed the box out of the way and dashed by. We had to get there quickly.

"Isaac!" Garet called, struggling to keep up. "Slow down!"

Ivan started running. I could hear him scampering towards me.

"Wait up!" Ivan shouted. "Isaac!"

Finally, I had to take a break.

"What was that about?" asked Garet, confused.

"Mercury...Lighthouse." I panted. "They...could...be...lighting...it...right...now..."

I started running again, flying across the land. A bridge.

I had to slow down when I ran into some undead, and Ivan and Garet caught up quickly.

Gust flew at one while I caught my breath, then choked out, "Flint!"  
Venus hurt the enemies badly, and one collapsed. Garet cremated the remaining one, and I dashed ahead again.

Another bridge.

Two rats and a bat, but the two rats appeared to be...soldiers? They had a sword and shield!

Jupiter. Flint. Flare Wall. Race ahead.

The cave!

I entered.

Right? No, it was a dead end, I discovered. Left.

Must stop Saturos and Menardi. Must save Jenna! My brain screamed. My legs obeyed, running like the wind.

Right.

Lighthouse...must stop them from lighting lighthouse...

"Wait up!"

What was that noise? It didn't matter.

"Isaac!"  
Isaac? That was...me?

"I can't stop! I've got to stop them!" I cried fervently, racing all the while.

"Isaac! You'll die of exhaustion! Stop!"

I paused, and with the sudden stop my momentum pushed me backward.

"Isaac!" Garet was gasping air, breathing hard.

"I know you want to stop them and save Jenna, but you won't be in any shape to stop Saturos and Menardi if you run all the way to Imil." Ivan reasoned.

"You're right," I panted. "I'm sorry, it's just..."

"Don't worry, buddy." Garet settled himself on the hard cave floor. "I understand."

"We need to keep our strength up," said Ivan sternly. "Do we even have any food?"

"Yeah..." I answered. "In my bag. Leftover."

After I ate, I felt much better. "What time is it?" I wondered.

"Probably it'll be dark soon. We'll have to spend the night in Imil before we go to the Lighthouse." Garet figured.

"We need to start going again."

Ivan and Garet looked at me, worried.

"Don't worry-no running." I started walking as briskly as I could.

Ahh...the exit.

"Watch out!" warned Ivan out in the snow. "Bears up ahead!"

"Oh, good," Garet smiled. "Meat for traveling."

The bears ripped into Garet and me, but I was so cold I barely noticed.

Ivan summoned Jupiter. The bears drew back angrily.

I summoned Venus next. This agitated the bears even more.

One reared forward to attack me, and I lost consciousness.

When I awoke, I was in perfect health and the bears were gone.

"We used that Water of Life-thingy that Vault's mayor gave us." Garet explained. "You woke up right away."

"That's nice," I commented, sitting up. "We need more of that stuff."

"The bear-meat is in my pack," Garet said. "Now, come on, let's go! It's almost dark."

It was dark by the time we reached Imil, and all I could do was barely count out the coins to the innkeeper and collapse on my bed.

Who knew what tomorrow would bring...


	14. Another Adept

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Golden Sun.

The next morning, I leaped out of bed, feeling rejuvenated. I stretched, and if I could carry a tune you could bet I'd be singing one.

I woke up Ivan and Garet and practically skipped out the Inn door.

We knocked on the door of the first house we saw, hoping to ask for directions to the Lighthouse.

The lady informed me that there'd been an epidemic and to keep away. I kept my distance from her and approached the old man.

"Do you know how to get to the lighthouse?" I asked him.

He started coughing.

"Grandpa! Hold on!" cried the woman, dashing to his side. "Oh no! This is terrible! Get Mia, please get Mia!"

Well, that seemed really easy, I thought wryly, since we don't even know what Mia looks like.

I started searching. I discovered we slid around on the ice easily.

We slid over to the Sanctum, but Garet started sliding all around. "Ahh!" he shouted as he struggled to regain his balance. "Help!"

He slid into a cave and out of view. Ivan and I skated after him.

We found him sitting in front of a Mars Djinni.

"AchOO!" it sneezed. "Achoo! Bless me! Ahh, ahh, ahh-choo!"

"Are you all right?" I asked it.

"I'b sorry to bother you, but...are you Adebpts?" it asked.

Flint popped out. "Hey, come on out, Granite! Forge! Gust! Breeze! It's Fever!"  
Granite appeared. "Great to see you, Fever!" he said cheerfully.

Forge appeared sulkily, but he brightened. "Hey, it's you, buddy!"

"Hi! Fever! It's great to see you!" squeaked Gust cheerily. "Yes, come with these noble, brave, wonderful, caring Adepts!"

"They're really nice!" added Flint.

"Hmph. If you're a friend of Flint's, you're no friend of mine." snarled Breeze.

"Hey, Forge. Hi, Gust. Hello, Flid. Hi, Graditt. Hi, Breeze." greeted Fever. "Ah...Ahh..Ahh..ACHOO!"

That last sneeze blew us out of the cave.

I led the way back inside.

"I'll joid you," decided Fever. "I can Wrap a foe id feverish delusiod, by the way."

"I'll show you where we live," said Forge with more enthusiasism than he'd ever showed.

"All right!" Fever and all the others disappeared again.

_I didn't know Djinn could get sick._ I told Flint.

_Oh, yeah, Fever's always sick. I hope it's not..._ His next words were drowned out by an enormous sneeze from Granite.

Granite sneezed again. _Oh, great, it's contagious!_

"Just what I need," I muttered. "Sick Djinn."

Ivan looked at me curiously.

"It's con-" I started to explain, but I could not be heard over Garet's monster sneeze.

"Let's just find this Mia," Ivan said nervously. "Maybe she can cure this."  
I could already feel my perfect day going down the drain.

"Are you looking for Mia?" asked the apprentice healer.

"Yes, we are! Do you know where to find her?" I asked eagerly.

"She just left. Mia is very busy."  
The young girl came up to us. "Mia's gone to those old people at the front of town." she informed us.

"Thakks!" exclaimed Garet.

We found what had to be Mia inside the house at the bedside of the old man.

"How are you feeling?" she asked kindly.

The man coughed.

"You'll feel better soon," she assured him. She closed her eyes, and a miniscule fairy floated above the man.

"How do you feel now?" she repeated.

"Much better."

He started to sit up.

"No, Grandpa. Don't push yourself!" Mia said sternly.

"Thank you, Mia. I can't imagine how this village would ever manage without you." The lady coughed.

"Don't mention it. You should rest, too, ma'am."

Mia left the man's side and came to us. "Who are you?" she asked, puzzled. "Are you sick?"  
"Yes," I started. "Um...Garet and..."  
But she rushed to the window, forgetting about me. "Was that the lighthouse? It can't be. Only I can enter, except for...Alex!"

She pushed us out of the way, knocking Garet to the ground as he stared after her.

To make matters worse, just that second, Ivan sneezed.

I buried my face in my hands. My perfect day was gone completely.

"Oh, did you go to all that trouble searching for her for _us?_" asked the old woman incredulously. "I would offer you something, but all I can spare is this bottle...take it...maybe you'll find a use for it."

I took the bottle and stowed it in my pack. "I guess we better get going," I said to Ivan and Garet.

"Good luck, travelers!" wished the lady, waving feebly.

_The Lighthouse...They're really pretty, you know. Of course, Mercury Lighthouse is _nothing_ next to Venus... _Flint thought modestly.

_Baby that Bia cad help be! _Granite mentally smiled. I knew what he'd meant-"Maybe that Mia can help me!".

I just hoped I woudn't catch it...All of a sudden, I felt a sneeze welling up in my nose.

How could I have even thought this day would be good?


	15. Mercury Lighthouse

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun or the characters.

I was shivering just outside Imil, trudging through the snow. I envied Garet, since he didn't even feel it. And Jenna...

But I didn't envy Jenna. They must be treating her badly, I thought. I hoped she would be at the Lighthouse...

We found the Lighthouse. It was truly beautiful, with two statues adoring the entrance, and the empty pool that previously contained the Water of Hermes.

Mia was standing outside the Lighthouse. "Somebody is here," she breathed. "Someone is here." She turned to us. "Do you hear anything?"

"No," I answered, puzzled. Garet and Ivan shook their heads.

"You can't hear it? Well, I can. Alex and I are the only ones who can enter Mercury Lighthouse. But someone put this statue in my way!" Mia wailed.

"Allow be," said Garet quietly. He used Move.

"Did you do that?" she asked, shaken.

"He did," I gestured to Garet.

"I knew it. I saw a ghostly force pushing it."

"You can see Psynergy?" I asked in disbelief.

"Psynergy, is that what you call it?"

Ivan nodded. "Yes. We had thought you were usigg Psydergy when you healed that bad, Bia." His cold sounded worse.  
"That's a special power, handed down to members of the Mercury Clan from generation to generation." explained Mia. "It is called Ply, a power generated through great concentration. It was once much stronger."

"Souds like Vale." remarked Garet. "They're the protectors of a special power, like us!"

"I have to go. I have to find who entered the lighthouse."

She used that Ply to open the swirling portal of a doorway and entered.

"Let's follow her," Garet suggested.

In the next room, flooded with water, we found Mia trying to escape a water creature.

Before I knew it, Gust was hurtling through the air. "You must not hurt the noble Adepts' friend!"

I added my force to the fight by summoning Venus.

"Let's see what you cad do." muttered Garet, and Fever flew through the air, coughing.

The lizard-like person looked confused, and I realized Fever must have clouded his vision. He attempted to attack me, but I leaped back just in time.

After Ivan summoned, the battle ended. The lizard flopped back into the water, defeated.

Mia looked at us. "Thank you." she whispered, then fled.

In the center of the next room was a giant statue. We continued along the seemingly set path.

The path was blocked again, and I cleared the way by moving a statue.

"You've saved me again, haven't you? Do you have business in the Lighthouse, too?"

"Yeah." said Garet.

"I thought so. I am sure there will be more places that I cannot pass alone. I sense something special about you three. I will join you."

"Great!" exclaimed Garet. "Now, cad you heal the three of us? We picked up...a cold."

"I shall." Mia agreed, and in about ten seconds we were healed. Flint popped out.

"What about us Djidd?" he demanded angrily. Granite, Forge, Fever, Breeze, and Gust followed him.

"Wudderful Bercury Adebpt, surely you cad heal us, too!" begged Gust.

"Djinn?" Mia gave Gust an odd look. "Like...Fizz?"

At the sound of the name, a small creature popped out. She immediately started crying. "Flint! Granite! Breeze! Gust! I can't believe it." She shot a killer look at Forge and Fever. "But...oh, Mia, don't let those _mean_ Mars Djinn get me!" She started sobbing harder. "And there are no other Mercury Djinn! Oh, how sad is my sorry fate!"

"Fizz!" cried Gust in delight. "Oh, it is do sorry fate! For these are brave and doble Adepts, ad I ab very thakkful to theb! I ab very buch id their debt!"

"Truly?" asked Fizz, tears still in her eyes. "Truly, they are kind and virtuous?"

"Truly!" exclaimed Gust, fluttering around. "Truly, truly, truly!"

Meanwhile, Mia had been healing the Djinn. "Only one more," she said, satisfied.

Gust fluttered over to her. Fizz smiled at Ivan. "Gust says you are brave and noble Adepts, but I'm not sure if I believe her about the Venus one and _especially_ not about the Mars one." She started crying again. "Nobody will appreciate my ability to Restore health with calming water.

Ivan backed away. "Uh...sure."

"Are we going to get on with this or discuss Djinn all day?" wondered Garet, exasperated.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Let's get going."

We entered a room filled with waterfalls. I could feel Garet's distaste, and wondered what Jenna would think of it. Or perhaps she'd already thought of it. Maybe they'd come through here already, I didn't know.

Garet pushed a bit of pipe out of our way, and we continued around the room, but I wasn't thinking about Mercury Lighthouse. I was thinking about this strange, special feeling I'd been experiencing today. Like there was something I was forgetting.

"Heads up!" warned Garet. "Lizard at 12:00!"

I jerked my head up to see myself a few feet in front of another giant lizard-person.

"You shall not hurt them!" Gust.

"Yaahoo!" squeaked Flint wildly, flinging himself at the monster.

Mia rushed up to the beast and swung her staff, stunning it surprisingly.

Fever zoomed at the lizard man, finally defeating him.

Pushing a statue onto the switch...Where were Saturos and Menardi? At the top? On this floor? Below us? Still in Imil? Or somewhere in between?

I wasn't watching where I was going, and before I knew it, I was sliding through the air.

The others came down after me, and Mia stared at the statue in front of us, the huge one I'd noticed earlier. She hopped right into its' hands. "Ply," she murmured. The tile we were on pulsed with a strange light.

"How do we get off?" wondered Garet.

"Swim, I guess," said Ivan, hopping into the water. But to our surprise his feet floated atop the water. "Something about that tile!" he exclaimed. "Try it!"

So off I went into the water. Don't...think...about it...I commanded myself, then I looked down. Somehow I managed to get onto dry land, but I don't know how. Mia and Garet followed.

In the next room we entered after using another tile, I spotted a treasure chest.

"Great!" Garet grinned. "Let's see what is inside."

He attempted to open it. The chest suddenly popped up on four legs and with deadly looking pincers.

Gust flew at the...mimic. It reeled back from the attack and concentrated. Garet looked startled. "It...it took away some of my power!"

"You'll get it! Hooray!" cried Flint.

Mia hit it fiercely with her staff, and Fever flew at the chest mimic.

All three of us that had called the Djinn then summoned. The mimic tried to croon us to sleep, but none of us felt its calls. Mia attacked it again.

Ivan leaped forward and sliced it, and in revenge it used its' pincers to bite my leg. I gasped at the pain, feeling like I would scream. I hit it back, severing a leg. It didn't look too good after Mia and Garet had also hurt it.

Djinn again. This time the mimic used some sort of wind gust to hurt us. I cringed.

Fizz floated above me, sobbing as usual. "I told Mia I didn't want to heal any _Venus_ Adept, but she said I had to!"

Garet finished the thing off with Fever. The monster gasped.

"Here...is...my...forfeit." it declared, disappearing in a puff of smoke and leaving behind a jar of Water of Life. I handed it to Mia.

She put it in her pack silently, then walked through a waterfall. I followed.

In the northeast corner, I found a chest. Opening it gingerly, lest it be another chest mimic, I lifted the lid.

Inside was magnificent looking armor. The moment I put it on I felt my Psynergy strengthen. I stashed my old armor in my pack and headed on, since this was a dead end.

We crossed pool after pool, but my mind was elsewhere. Jenna...Felix...

I noticed Garet was telling Mia of our adventures so far, with Ivan joining in occasionally. I didn't feel like talking right now.

"Isaac!" Garet called unexpectedly. "Will you help move this statue?"

"Sure." I moved the statue, then went into the next room. Ivan disappeared for a moment and returned with a Druminat.

"Here." He tossed the nut to me. I put it in my bag.

I hung back from the others, lost in my own private world.

Mia walked through another waterfall. Then she shouted, "Garet! Isaac! Ivan!"  
We followed her. Inside this tiny compartment was another Mercury Djinni.

"Other...people...in _my_ lighthouse?" he demanded. "No!"

He attempted to hit Garet with his sharp tail, but Garet leaped back just in time.

I barely paid attention during the battle; Garet had to remind me not to set Flint to attack him when I accidentally did. I changed my command quickly.

"Fine." The Djinn growled. "Just remember, Fizz-leave me a nice big corner or else! I'm Sleet-I Drench a foe to drop its' attack. Hmph. Not like I'd want to do it for you lot, anyway."

Mia used Ply on a statue, creating a waterfall leading up. Up...up...to the top of the lighthouse.

To Saturos and Menardi.


	16. The Aerie

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun!

A/N: A nice long one!

"We've got to get ready to battle." I informed the others as I woke them up from the temporary daze the statue had put us in.

"So, what should we do, Isaac?" asked Ivan, looking worried.

"You're asking me?"

Mia nodded. "Yes."

Garet looked from Ivan to Mia to me. "Well, I guess I'm outvoted as leader. So...what do we do?"

I tried to sound brave. "Mia, put Sleet and Fizz on standby. We'll be fighting Saturos and/or Menardi, and they're Mars Adepts."

Mia nodded again.

"Ivan...how many herbs do you have?"

"Ten. Enough." he answered simply.

"Garet, you're fine. Let's go."

I hopped onto the tower and ascended the steps. "No..." I gasped in disbelief. This had to be the lighthouse aerie...lit. "It's been lit!"  
Garet rushed to follow me. "Isaac's right! We've...failed."

"It can't be!" cried Mia. "I have failed in my only duty. This is terrible." She sounded like she might mimic her Djinni and start sobbing.

"Isaac! Garet!" called a very familiar impatient voice. Jenna!

"Jenna!" I shouted back. "Where are you?"

Then we spotted her. She was standing on the opposite elevator...along with Menardi, Kraden, and Felix. Where was Saturos?

"Isaac!" Jenna yelled again. "Take this!" She threw something in my general direction. I ran forward, catching it neatly.

"So it's you, Isaac." Felix noted coolly. He glared at Jenna momentarily, then glanced back at me.

I looked at the object in my hand. It was a smooth red stone with a shred of purple cloth tied around it. I shrugged and placed it in a built-in pouch in my armor.

"Those kids are still alive?" sneered Menardi. "You came all this way to save Jenna and Kraden?"

"And to stop you!" Garet glared at her. "To stop you lighting the lighthouses!"

"Then we have no choice. Let's take care of them now, before they can do any harm!" Menardi said to somebody.

Jenna apparently was having some sort of arguement with Felix. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I caught my name several times and Garets' a few times.

"Menardi...wait." snarled a familiar evil-sounding voice. I gulped as I saw Saturos appear from behind the ball of blue swirling light.

"But Saturos, they want to..." started Menardi, but Saturos cut her off.

"I know. I heard it all. They were lucky to survive the eruption of Mt. Aleph." Saturos directed a glare in my direction. "You have endured so much, and now you want to throw your lives away? Fine, if that is your wish, prepare to have it granted!"

"Saturos? You will fight them alone?" questioned Menardi. I closed my eyes. Please, please, please say yes.

"Menardi, I can't expect you to leave our hostages alone and help me, can I?" reasoned Saturos.

"That true." she agreed.

"Besides, I want to see how much their powers have developed. Head for the next lighthouse now!"

I saw Jenna put up a fight about leaving, but she finally had to give in and the elevator descended.

"I'm sorry, Isaac! Garet!" Jenna shouted as they disappeared from view.

"Stay alive!" cried Kraden helplessly.

"Jenna! Kraden!" Garet looked worried.

"If you want to save them, you'll have to beat me, first!"

"No, get back, Garet!" worried Mia.

Garet retreated.

"What's the matter?" asked Saturos mockingly.

"He's extremely powerful." Garet said, worry tinging his voice. "I could sense it."

"We have to match his strength." Ivan looked upset.

"Match me? You think you can match the great Saturos?"

Nobody said anything. I held my head high. "Yes," I lied confidently.

"You overestimate your chances." he sneered. "Fine. I'll just teach you all a lesson! Quickly, before this Mercury beacon saps all my Psynergy!"

I gulped. "Uh..Ivan...Breeze."

Breeze grudgingly appeared floating in the air. "Hmph. Having to help a Venus Adept. Things have gone very far down." He flew over to sit on Ivan's shoulder.

_Flint!_

"Take that for kidnapping Jenna! Wahoo!" squeaked Flint merrily, zipping around Saturos.

Saturos concentrated, and Mia promptly got burnt on the shoulder. She gasped in pain.

"Garet-Forge. Mia...Summon Nereid." Mia looked a little worried at the prospect, but they were all looking at me for guidance.

"Gust. Fever. Mia, use some sort of Mercury Psynergy. I'll heal you."

Saturos countered our attacks with a huge fireball.

"Kirin. Atalanta. Fizz on Ivan, please." Garet nodded happily.

Saturos sliced at Garet with his blade. I saw Garet wince.

"Heal Garet, Ivan. Garet, attack Saturos. Mia, use Sleet. I'll summon Ramses." I declared.

Ivan healed Garet just in time as Saturos tossed a huge fireball at us. Mia managed to dodge it, but it hurt the rest of us deeply.

I attacked Saturos directly after that. His eyes narrowed, and he plunged his blade right into where my heart is. It pierced my armor...and stopped.

The blade had found something it couldn't puncture. Ivan meanwhile was sneaking up on him and gave him a quick gash on the forearm, dancing away.

Saturos winced, and Mia summoned Nereid. The Adept collapsed.

Garet turned to me, excited. "We beat him!"

"Who would have thought Mercury Lighthouse held such great power?" Saturos spat angrily. "If only my Psynergy had been at its full power."

"You said you were weakened. What did you mean?" asked Ivan curiously.

"I...I meant nothing." stuttered Saturos, clearly lying.

"I shall tell you what he means." promised a voice, cool-sounding.

"A-alex?" Mia gasped, her eyes wide.

Alex walked out from behind the swirling ball of light.

He nodded slightly. "It's been a while, Mia."

"Do you realize what you've done?" Mia sounded horrified.

"Of course! I have freed a great power that has long been sealed away." Alex explained in that calm voice, devoid of emotion. "Mercury, the lighthouse of water. What a mighty force."

"Alex...are you mad?" demanded Mia.

"No! Mia, do you not understand?" Alex sounded almost surprised. "The lighthouse granted you great power during your battle with Saturos."  
"It's true." admitted Mia. "I could use my...Psynergy...without ever depleting it."

"Don't you see? The Mercury Lighthouse supplied you with limitless Psynergy!"

"Tell me, Alex. Why wasn't Saturos able to use his full power?!" Ivan seemed intent on discovering this.

"I shall explain it all." sneered Alex. "Saturos is aligned with Mars, the clan of fire. Fire and water are opposing elements. His full power was bound by the Mercury Psynergy of the lighthouse."

Ivan looked satisfied, but Mia wondered, "Didn't Saturos know that?"

"Of course he knew. However, he failed to appreciate the power of this lighthouse. As did I." Alex seemed lost in his thoughts.

"So...we could defeat Saturos because he was weakened by the opposing power of the lighthouse." I repeated.

"There is more to it. I stood by, watching your battle from afar."

"You were watching us?" Ivan asked, startled.

"Yes. I did not help Saturos because I was certain you would win. But I was wrong. You have become such powerful fighters in such a short time!" Alex exclaimed.

At that moment, Saturos sat up, then pushed himself to a standing position weakly.

"Saturos is up again?" Ivan cried in amazement. "But we beat him!"

"I lost to the lighthouse, not you!" snarled Saturos.

Alex had a vague smirk on his face. "I was merely stalling you until Saturos regained his strength."

"You were just buying time! That's not fair, Alex!" Mia looked upset.

I smiled, wishing Jenna had been here. She'd have set Alex on fire by now for sure.

Saturos gestured to Alex, and Alex stood next to him, letting the limping Saturos lean on him.

"I won't let you escape!" shouted Garet.

"Oh? And just what are you going to do? Will you finish him off?"

"No. No, not here, not now. You're here, and you're a Mercury Adept, aren't you? This beacon has strengthened your Psynergy. It would be folly to kill him." I answered.

"Yes, Isaac. You seem like a smart warrior. And I doubt you are the type to 'finish' anyone off!" mocked Alex.

"Of course, you are welcome to believe whatever you want." Saturos said weakly.

Alex and Saturos disappeared, only to reappear down the steps.

"Not again! He warped again!" cried Garet angrily.

"Again? He's done that before?" Mia looked puzzled.

"Yeah, in Sol Sanctum." Garet confirmed.

"Does that mean Mia can use it?" wondered Ivan.

"No, it's _impossible_! Even Alex didn't have this kind of power before."

"Ah, well. I can't stay the same Alex you knew forever..." Alex smirked.

Just then, the elevator that had carried Jenna, Kraden, Felix, and Menardi returned to the top.

"Hmm, it seems my ride has returned as we are speaking." Alex turned to us. "And so, I bid you adieu."

Ivan gripped my arm. "Isaac, Saturos still has the Stars!"

"We can't get them now," I said sensibly. "They'd kill us."

"Menardi has the Elemental Stars, anyway!" reasoned Saturos.

"That reminds me. Do you still have the Mars Star?"  
I saw no reason to lie. "Yes, we do."

"I appreciate your honesty." Alex smiled, then warped himself back to the elevator. "I suppose you'll pursue us for the Elemental Stars?"

"Yes. We will." I answered as calmly as I could, trying not to let my fear show.

"I look forward to it. I shall see you four soon, then." Alex replied as calmly as if we'd arranged an afternoon tea. "Good bye."

"I look forward to our next battle." Saturos grinned evilly, and the two rode down the elevator. We were all silent. Now that they were gone, I realized...I'd failed. Failed. Failed. The word beat in my head. Failed.

"They're gone," said Ivan quietly.

"We couldn't even save Jenna." I murmured.

"I don't deserve to be a healer." Mia berated herself. "We couldn't stop them from lighting the beacon. I've failed my clan, failed my one duty."

"That's not true!" comforted Ivan. "We can still beat them, right, Isaac?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes."

"That's right! All we have to do is stop them from lighting all the lighthouses!" Ivan said reasonably. "The beacon of Mercury Lighthouse has been lit, but we'll stop them next time."

"That's right." agreed Garet.

Mia smiled. "We won't let Alex get away with this. Let's go after them now!"

"Now?" I raised an eyebrow, but Garet had a different qualm.

"We? You're coming with us?" asked Garet eagerly.

She nodded.

"But the people of Imil need you!" protested Ivan.

"It will be okay." she assured us. "'The fountain shall be filled as long as light fills the lighthouse'. That's an old saying. The fountain will run over with healing waters now."

"For Tret!" I exclaimed.

"Yes. I have mixed feelings about leaving, but Imil will be fine as long as the fountain continues to flow with the Water of Hermes. We should hurry if we're going to follow them."

"Once we get some rest," I reminded her. "It's late." I led the way to the elevator, yawning.

The people of Imil apparently didn't care that it was night; they gathered around the pool eagerly. I filled the bottle the old couple had given us earlier today and I thought about all that had gone on since then.

I paid the innkeeper, and laid down on the Inn bed. I felt something hard in the pocket of my armor. I reached inside to discover Jenna's stone visible through a small hole.

I realized the stone had saved me. I looked at the piece of cloth that had been tied around it.

_Happy Birthday, Isaac!_ it read.

I fell asleep with the stone in my hand and a smile on my face.


	17. Just in Time

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

We left Imil early the next morning, but before we left we stopped by the Sanctum at Mias' request.

"We were worried you wouldn't come back!" exclaimed the little girl, hugging Mia fiercely.

"I'm so sorry, you two." Mia looked away from them. I felt like an intruder, an uninvited guest, and from the looks on their faces, so did Garet and Ivan.

"Mia! The Mercury Lighthouse has been lit!" The young healer bit his lip.

Mia nodded. "I know."

There was silence. Then the healer asked, "What's the matter? You look strange today, Mia."

Mia looked from the girl to the apprentice, then turned away. "How should I tell you?" she muttered, more to herself than to them.

"You have something to say? What is it?" inquired the girl.

"Um...well...I-" she faltered. She gulped, then continued, "I'll be joining Isaac, Garet, and Ivan in their quest."

"No!" cried the apprentice.

"It's very hard for me to leave you two, Justin and Megan. But it's...the lighthouse." Mia explained.

Justin nodded solemnly. "You said the world would be in danger if the lighthouse was lit, right?"

"Yes."

"Is that why you're leaving? To protect the world?" asked Megan, her blue-green eyes wide.

"Yes. That's right." Mia looked relieved at how well they'd taken the news.

"Then there's nothing we can do." Justin admitted helplessly.

"We won't try to stop you, then." promised Megan. "After all, you are trying to protect our clan."

So they were Mercury Adepts, also. Their powers would be pretty weak, I judged, because they were younger than I was during the accident. But Justin already could act as a healer...

"Yes. I am." Mia replied quietly.

"Then we will protect Imil ourselves. So don't worry, okay?" Justin smiled gently.

"I will try hard and learn to heal as well as you, Mia!"

"I'll leave the village in your hands." Mia looked at the two young healers solemly. Then she turned to Garet, Ivan, and me. We were standing there awkwardly. "We can leave without any worries now. Goodbye, Justin. Goodbye, Megan."  
Then she led the way out the door.

On the way out of Imil, many people shouted good-byes to their healer. Mia smiled, but didn't reply.

We walked back through the cave in silence. Mia looked like she might cry, and Garet looked worried. Ivan seemed lost in his own thoughts, and I didn't want to disrupt the others.

By the time we left the cave, it was time to stop for a lunch of leftover bear.

"Yum." commented Garet as he bit into a leg.

Mia poked at her food, not really eating much. She still looked almost at tears.

Ivan was eyeing the meat suspiciously, but finally managed to taste some. After he tasted it he started to eat at a rapid rate.

I was enjoying watching my companions as I ate my share. Garet finished his leg and started watching Mia's meat hungrily. Ivan seemed lost in his thoughts again.

"Here!" cried Mia finally, handing her piece to Garet.

He blinked, surprised. "Uh...thanks." he muttered.

"No problem." she answered coolly.

When we had all eaten as much as we could, I stood up and started walking again, at a slightly slower pace. Ivan followed me slowly.

Mia walked beside Ivan, staring straight ahead and trying to hide her little sobs. Garet lumbered last in line, smiling in contentment.

We passed Bilibin carefully, hoping nobody was watching, knowing that McCoy's men could be trying to keep trespassers away from the barricade.

I discovered that the tree-people at the barricade had toppled, and one was trapped in the river between two rocks. I climbed along the rocks, ignoring the warnings, and pushed the tree-person safely to shore.

Almost automatically, Garet, Ivan, and I clasped hands. Mia looked at us strangely, then joined the circle.

_Thank you!_ exclaimed the tree silently. _You saved me from being washed downstream!_ I doubted it knew that we could hear it.

We continued on, passing Kolima with a shudder, onto Kolima Forest.

We passed the puzzles easily, now that we knew the solutions. Walking up to Tret, I opened the bottle of dark blue Hermes' Water. It had a clean smell.

I poured the healing waters upon Tret's roots.

The forest started glowing psynergetically. I could feel Tret's strength returning to the ground all around me, and, amazingly, even spreading through me. I figured this was a Venus Adept thing, from the look on the other three faces around me.

"I feel a great power spreading through me." stated Tret. His branches swished. "Life flows within me once again!"

"Tret..." called a soft, gentle voice. I realized it was Laurel. "As you have recovered, so has our forest."

"I am sorry to have worried you so, Laurel." apologized Tret sincerely. "And you, young ones. Didn't you have a favor to ask of me?"

"Yes. You have turned the people of Kolima into trees." I explained.

"Yes, Tret." agreed Laurel. "You must turn the people of Kolima into humans again."

"That's right. I must hurry." Tret concentrated and I could feel the Psynergy spreading through the forest and out to Kolima, the barricade, Bilibin.

"That should do it. The people of Kolima are cursed no more." Tret sounded happy.

"Tret did not always possess this horrible power." Laurels' voice was soothing.

"It only started when those strange gemstones fell from the sky." continued Tret.

"Gems from the sky..." murmured Garet.

"Psynergy Stones." I supplied.

Garet looked worried. "You really think Psynergy Stones caused all this trouble?"

Tret swished his branches again, almost angrily. "I was indeed angry that men had laid waste to my forest. They had even taken their axes to _me_! Then those gems fell into my branches, and my fury overwhelmed me. I was lost in anger!"

Laurel spoke again, sorrowfully. "The gem reached me when I was filled with sadness. Our actions spoke our hearts' desires, but we had no idea..." Her voice trailed off.

"Those gems twisted my anger into a force beyond my control." Tret rumbled.

"Have any of the saplings been transformed by the stones, Tret?" wondered Laurel.

"No. Only the elder trees were affected by the falling...Psynergy Stones." answered Tret.

"There are others that this happened to?" Garet asked.

Ivan's violet eyes were wide, and his voice was higher than usual, which I knew meant he was excited. "So the same thing could be happening elsewhere!"

"You must have battled many monstrous creatures on your way here." Laurel said.

"Yes." I answered, realizing. "Those monsters...they were animals, once?"

"Once, they were pure of heart. Those gems have brought a great evil to the world." intoned Tret.

I could feel Psynergy coursing through the ground, but it was different than Trets'.

"Laurel, you were given powers, too?" asked Ivan.

"Different from my own, but stemming from the same source." Tret confirmed before Laurel could speak.

Ivan stared at Laurel. "What in the world are you doing?"

"Wait." requested Tret. "You will soon see."

Laurel stopped using the Psynergy, and I could feel her relax.

"What did you see, Laurel?"

"It's true. Even the animals have become monsters. And beyond the river..." She sounded worried again.

"The river that feeds our forest?" Tret sounded upset, too.

"Yes. An evil forest has risen up to the south of the river." she explained.

"Will you be heading south across the river?" Tret asked us.

"I guess so," I shrugged.

"That area will probably get worse as time passes. You'd do best to hurry."

"All right." I prepared to leave, but Tret stopped me.

"I owe you a great debt. You have saved Kolima, the forest, and me." he said solemnly.

"May your roots dig deep and your branches reach high." wished Laurel.

"Uh, right. May your roots dig deep and your branches reach high." I repeated.

"Let's go to Kolima!" Garet exclaimed after I used my Retreat.

I shrugged. "Fine with me. Let's go see the people we just saved."

A cheerful man met us at the entrance. "This is Kolima, town of lumberjacks! I'll shout it loud! Kolima!" he cheered happily.

_A bit enthusiastic, isn't he?_ Flint observed.

I nearly jumped out of my skin. _Flint, you scared me!_ I scolded silently.

_Sorry! I've been asleep. I was having this marvelous dream that you had all of us and we helped you beat the bad guys! Yay!_ Flint chattered.

"Let's go to the Inn," suggested Ivan. "We usually can find some good information there. Maybe Saturos and Menardi came through here.

"I'm only a merchant, but I got turned into a tree just for staying here! I think I'll head to Xian now that I'm a man again." a merchant informed us happily.

"Where's that?" Garet asked.

"It's south of the river." he told us.

After wandering around town a bit, we returned to the barricade.

Two boys and a girl, about our age, were gazing into the water. "Hey, you're that guy!" exclaimed one of the boys.

"Jill, are these the people that saved you?" the other boy asked the girl.

Jill smiled. "Remember me? I was that tree! I would have been swept down the river if it wasn't for you. Please, take this. It's a small token of my appreciation."

She handed me a nut. At first I thought it was a Druminat, but I realized my folly when I examined it more closely. "A Maronat! Thanks!"

The first boy nodded his head. "I will never forget what you've done for us. Thank you!"

I showed it to the others. "See the hard shell? It strengthens your skin! I think I can crack it with this." I pulled my brand-new axe out and hacked at the nut. "It worked! Here, Ivan, you take it."

"Thanks," he remarked, popping it in his mouth. "I think we'd better head to Bilibin."

"Yeah. Let's go."

"I just hope that lord-guy won't be too angry at us..."


	18. Back to Bilibin

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

I led the way through Bilibin, ignoring peoples' shouted greetings. Mia sometimes replied to them, but I just marched straight ahead. If I stopped to think about what I was doing, I might lose this grim determination that was flowing through my veins.

Then we reached the palace. One of the guards gave a start. "Oh! It's..."

The other one noticed us. "Oh! Sir!"

They exchanged glances. "We've been looking everywhere for you!" exclaimed the first.

"The curse of the tree...you're the ones who broke it, right?"

"Yes. Yes, we broke it." I answered.

"You're under arrest!" shouted the first angrily. I wasn't terribly surprised, but Mia's eyes grew wide and she grabbed Garet and me.

Ivan was as cool as a cucumber, though. "Oh, so _now_ you're ready to fight us? Because in case you haven't noticed, there is four of us now. And I really don't think you could beat us...but you're welcome to try, if you wish?" He raised his eyebrows.

The second guard glared. "Oh, really, midget? You really think you could beat _us_?"  
I stepped up. "Of course we can," I answered scornfully.

The first gulped. "Uh, Daniel, do you really think it's a good idea to fight them? After all, m'lord wants to see them."  
"You're right," agreed Daniel. "Follow me."

I followed him through the now-familiar halls into McCoy's parlor.

"I've brought the warriors, m'lord." the guard said anxiously.

"So yeh're the wee-I mean, brave-lads I met before!" he bellowed, apparently not noticing that Mia wasn't a "lad". "What were yer names, again?"

"I'm Isaac, sir, this is Garet..." I started.

"I am called Ivan." Ivan stated.

"And I am Mia, from the village of Imil," Mia greeted pleasantly.

The lord of Bilibin nodded to acknowledge us. "Isaac and company..."

Garet looked angry at the fact that he only bothered to remember my name. I blushed slightly. I wasn't really the leader...exactly...was I?

"And did I not decline yer offer when we first met?" he demanded angrily.

"Yes, you did." Garet answered before I could open my mouth.

"Yes, well..." McCoy looked a little sheepish. "I did nae give it enough consideration back then. And yet yeh went oan tae break the curse despite my words, did yeh not?"

"Yes, we did. And we succeeded." Ivan looked at him indignantly.

"I humbly thank you."

If I had been sitting down, I would have fallen out of my chair. Mia gasped in delight, Ivans' eyes bugged out, and Garets' mouth was wide open. I realized mine was, too, and promptly shut it.

"I was but worried yeh might nae stop here on yer way back." McCoy continued. "I want tae show my appreciation for yer help... I relied oan my money, but I forgot about my peoples' needs. Yeh reminded me of my duties. As lord of these lands, I will do my best for everyones' behalf. Isaac, it would honor me greatly if yeh'd accept a wee token of my gratitude."

Ivan opened his eyes even wider, and Garet still had his mouth hanging open.

"I could give it tae yeh here, but would yeh no' rather choose it yourself?" he asked.

It took a minute for me to get my mouth working again, and when it did, I could barely squeak out, "Yes."

"Very well. Yeh can choose somethin' that'll help yeh along yer way." McCoy sounded happy.

"I-I will show Isaac and his friends the way, m'lord." stuttered Daniel. I figured this wasn't what he was expecting, either.

"Many thanks tae yeh, and tae yer companions as well! Visit me anytime! Yeh'll always find a warm hearth here!" Garet looked happy about McCoy finally noticing that I wasn't the only one who saved the forest.

Daniel turned to us. "Follow me."

He led us to a room with four identical chests lined up against a locked door behind which were more chests.

Another guard was leaning against the wall.

"These are the ones who saved the forest. Please show them their reward!" Daniels' opinion of us had certainly changed.

The other guard nodded. "Pick a chest. You may keep what is inside."

I looked over at the identical chests, finally reaching to open the farmost right chest. Inside was a small bottle of the gold liquid that the mayor of Vault had called "Water of Life." I stowed it in my pack and led the way out of the palace.

People stared at us, but I was in such a good mood I shouted "Good evening!" to every man, woman, and child. I trotted over to the Inn, gave the Innkeeper double coins, and told him to keep them.

I ate the meal with such vigor that everyone at the neighboring tables stared. I retired to my room and offered to practice with Garet.

Garet grinned. "Sure."

As we practiced, I thought of how lucky we'd been today. Tret was still alive, we got it just in time, the lord wasn't angry with us, we got more Water of Life...

I just hoped our luck would last...


	19. Bad Day

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Golden Sun.

I had hoped my cheerful mood would have lasted but it didn't.

I was abruptly woken up at about 4 o' clock by my pack falling on my head from its hook above. I rubbed my head and sat up. Everyone, even Ivan, who was an early waker, were fast asleep.

I attempted to fall asleep-unsuccessfully. I tossed and turned, finally giving in and stomping downstairs. The innkeepers were speaking to each other and jumped up when I entered.

"It's too early for breakfast," the cook muttered.

"Isaac, what are you doing?" a soft voice asked me. I turned quickly to see Mia.

"I heard you leave." she told me.

"Isaac? Mia?" another voice questioned. Ivan stepped lightly down the stairs.

I rolled my eyes. "At least Garet won't be following us."

"Why?" Mia asked.

"Because he doesn't wake up until there's an earthquake, practically!" I exploded.

Mia shrunk back. "I-I'm really s-sorry..."

I glared at her. I didn't know why I was so angry...insomnia was nothing new for me.

Ivan glared at me. "Why are you getting upset at her?"

I refused to answer. A thought crept into my head...was this how Jenna was sometimes? Those days...

Then I remembered my dream.

Jenna was at the top of Mercury Lighthouse and I dashed toward her, only to see her split into her parents...and Father. They fell off the lighthouse, screaming.

I shuddered.

"What is it?" Mia had noticed my shudder.

"Nothing!" I snapped. I pushed her away. "I'm going outside. I'll be back in time for breakfast."

I walked by them silently.

Grumpily, I sat down on the steps. What was wrong with me today? First that dream, and then...

I sighed. All I could think about today was...my failure...Father...Jenna...

What was she doing right now? How far ahead of us? Behind us?

We'll never catch up, I thought miserably. They'll light lighthouse after lighthouse, and...

I had a horrible thought. What would happen to Jenna and Kraden when they no longer needed them?

Don't think that. Don't think that...

When I returned to the Inn, Garet was awake, and from his tousled hair I guessed he'd been awakened by a Whirlwind from Ivan. Most days, that would have amused me, but today nothing could seem funny.

"Hey, Isaac." Garet said sleepily.

I didn't answer, afraid I might snap at him.

Mia touched Garets shoulder lightly. "Isaac's having a bad day." she explained.

That wasn't the half of it.

_He's really gloomy today, isn't he?_ remarked Flint, apparently to Granite.

_Most definitely._ Granite agreed.

_I can hear you, you know._ I snapped. _And you're not making me feel any better. Who are you two to talk? Flint, you talk way too much, and Granite, why do you _always_ have to agree with him, huh? I'm sick of having two Djinn in my head. I HATE THIS STUPID QUEST!_

Garet was gaping at me with his mouth open, and I realized I'd shouted that last part aloud.

I felt like apologizing, but my mouth wouldn't listen to me. "What are you looking at?!"

Garet glared at me, and started to cast something.

"Garet, don't!" Mia scolded.

"Mia's right, Garet. Isaac's just having a bad day. It's no wonder, really. He's got a lot of stress." Ivan said quietly. I'd almost forgotten he was there.

Garet nodded, and lowered his arm.

"I-I'm sorry, guys, I just-" I broke off. I wasn't sure what to say.

"Don't worry, we understand." Mia assured me.

"Umm...let's, uh, eat now." I stammered.

After a quiet breakfast, we left Bilibin. We passed the barricade equally silently.

"Where are we going?" Garet asked finally.

"The bridge," answered Ivan.

"Oh."

When we reached our destination, we found a man on the other side of the river and the bridge rolled back.

"Are you going to cross the bridge?" the man called across.

"Yes, we are!" Garet answered for me. I was glad he had replied instead of leaving it to me.

"Oh...right. Go right ahead!"

He rolled down the bridge. I led the way across the bridge.

We hiked along the well-beaten path, again in silence. We finally reached a beautiful spot, with a waterfall and a house upon a hill. And best of all..._people_.

All of the people spoke of a "Nyunpa". I stared in wonder at the gardens, almost forgetting my bad day until I fell into the stream. Garet fished me out quickly.

"Thanks." I dried myself off and ascended the steps to speak to Nyunpa.

"Good morning," I told him pleasantly. He ignored me.

"Hey!" shouted Garet. The man flinched, but refused to speak.

"Sir...?" Nyunpa paid no mind to Ivan, either.

"Hello? Hello? Hello?!" Mia tried, but with no avail.

We linked hands and Ivan read Nyunpa's mind to discover his thoughts.

_Mmm... Who is that? Who speaks to my mind?_ Nyunpa thought in confusion.

I stepped back, indicating for the others to follow.

"Young master...was that your voice I heard in my mind just now?" Nyunpa asked. I realized he was speaking to me.

"Yes...well, actually, it was Ivans." I pointed to the Jupiter Adept.

He didn't pay attention. "I knew it!" he exclaimed happily, in a tone similar to Kradens. "You follow them, do you not?"

"Uh...if you mean Saturos and Menardi, yeah."

"I knew it!" Nyunpa repeated. "But you must go through Mogall Forest, the endless woods. The forest itself is a mystery, and its paths even more so. No ordinary man can pass from one side to the other. But perhaps I could, young master."

He turned away from us. "If you can endure the trials in the waterfall grotto, I will tell you."  
Oh, great, I thought. Just what will top this day off. A test.

"Will you take the test?" Nyunpa asked.

I looked at the others. Ivan shrugged. "It's up to you, Isaac."  
Mia nodded. "Ivan's right. Whatever you think."

Garet looked like he wanted to protest, but then stopped. "Sure. What you think."

I took a deep breath. "Yes. Yes, we will."

He used Psynergy. My eyes widened, but I did not say anything.

"Do not worry. You will be permitted to enter the grotto." Nyunpa assured us. "Go now, Isaac!"

I tried not to look surprised.

"Do not forget that you are not the only ones who can read minds." He returned to his position on the floor.

I led the way to the waterfall. The guard nodded to acknowledge us. "I have already heard of your test from Master Nyunpa. You may enter."

He hopped out of the way.

I took a deep breath and entered the waterfall.


	20. The Test

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

A/N: A long one! (Well, at least for me).

The first thing I saw inside the cave was an engraving. I moved my sopping-wet hair away from my face and went to examine it. But before I could reach it, in came Garet.

"Great look," he joked, pointing to my soaked hair.

Grinning, I gestured to his flames of hair that usually stand up. Now they were limp and hanging all over his face.

Ivan followed, his hair straggling across his face. Mia walked through last, with her eyes closed.

"Ahh...that felt so good." she murmured, still not opening her eyes.

"Hey, what is this?" Ivan had discovered the stone. "It says, 'The dragons flame illuminates the path of truth in darkness.' I wonder what that means?"

I shrugged. "I think we use these logs as boats. One, two, three!"

We rolled across, running quickly. On the patch of land we reached was a single chest. I reached forward to open it, wondering what treasures hid inside.

When the chest sprouted legs and pincers...

Ivan closed his eyes and Gust flew forward angrily, whirlwinds fiercely following.

The mimic crooned in retaliation. "Sleep...sleep..."

Ivan slumped forward, unable to resist.

"Venus!" squeaked Flint.

I jumped. "I thought you were on set!" I accused.

"I was! But Venus does more damage. I put myself on standby when you were rolling." he answered smugly.

"Whatever, fine, Venus."

The mimic reeled back.

Sleet stomped forward. "Stupid kids, disturbing me from my rest...hmph..." he grumbled, as a thick sleet fell from the roof of the cave.

Garet raised his hands, and a ghostly Mars Djinni flicked forward, sending flames at the chest mimic.

The mimic dashed forward and bit Mia on the arm. I raised my axe, and it understood the threat. It hopped back.

I concentrated, and a portion of the ceiling crushed the mimic. It weakly pushed the stones away, in time to be frozen by Mias perfectly timed Mercury summon.

While it was still frozen, Garet chipped the ice off with his axe and severed a limb.

_I'm set now! Hurray!_ squeaked Flint.

Ivan stirred, and opened his eyes. Seeing our situation, he jumped to his feet. The mimic was staying at a safe distance.

Ivan summoned Jupiter, tossing the mimic across the room.

Flint attacked. Mia healed herself. And Garet used Fever. The mimic collapsed, crying, "Forfeit." It extended a leg with some sort of ticket. I took it and put it in my pack.

"Well, that was interesting." Flint noted cheerfully. "Lemme see that ticket."  
I dug it out of my bag and held it down for him to see. I figured it was easier to do as he said than to argue.

"My goodness!" Flint exclaimed. "Wow! Gracious goodness oh me oh my oh gosh!"

"What?" I asked irritably.

"That's a Tolbi game ticket! Oh, Tolbi is wonderful. I imagine it's grown a bit since I last saw it...it was just springing up, back then, that was a couple of hundred years ago. They're _famous_ for their games. Oh, you are some lucky kids to have gotten this! You can't buy them, you know. You have to _earn_ them!" Flint was so excited he started jumping up and down. "A genuine Tolbi game ticket! Wow!"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Let's just continue on."  
We rolled back across and then across by the other log. I observed that Garet appeared to be feeling slightly sick.

We hopped across the water to the start of a maze of floating logs. We could reach three doors from here.

"Which one?" asked Ivan.

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"Left," answered Garet simultaneously.

"Okay, left, then." I hopped over to the left one. My mind wasn't on the increasingly darker rooms we walked by. It was on Saturos and Menardi. Which lighthouse was next?

Even when Mia found a chest with a sword she gave to me, I hardly noticed.

Room after room, rolling across on logs, my mind was on Jenna. Felix. Kraden.

Then I was forced to think. We met a Jupiter Djinni.

"Who are you?" it asked suspiciously. "A bunch of Adepts? I bet you're the evil kind! You're out to...oh, I don't know! Take over the world, that's it! Well, I won't let you!" It launched itself at us.

I dodged its blow while Gust flew at it, scolding, "Good Jupiter Djinn don't attack, brave, kind, and noble Adepts!"

The Djinni winced, and not just at the blow. "Gust!" it snarled. "These Adepts could be _evil_!"

_Flint!_

"Wahoo!" Flint called, flinging himself wholeheartedly at the Djinn. "Zephyr, you ought to know better!"  
Zephyr glared, and a bolt flew from the ceiling of the cave to strike Ivan. He didn't seem to mind too much, though.

Meanwhile, Mia had been preparing. "Sleet!" she shouted, and the Djinni trudged out, muttering about "disturbed peace" and "lighthouse" and "my own".

Fever flew at Zephyr, madly coughing. I think he was trying to talk, but all that could come out was coughs. I kept my distance, not wanting another episode like Imil.

While Zephyr was distracted, I called up Granite, noting that Ivan was using the time to apply herb paste on his burns.

Zephyr realized something. "There could be more evils that will attack me when I am vulnerable! I must leave this battle!" he started to flutter off, but I grabbed him.

"You're not going anywhere." I told him grimly, then let go.

Garet concentrated and attacked the Djinni with Mars. Zephyr cringed, but attacked with a Plasma in retaliation.

Oh, the pain. The pain. It ran through my body. I knew I must have looked horrible, with burns all over my body.

Ivan called up Breeze, and then, with the last few ounces of my strength, I summoned Ramses.

I collapsed, but I wasn't knocked out, just so weak. Mia knelt down and used Ply.

What a wonderful feeling. My energy flowed through my veins. I let out a sigh of satisfaction. "Thank you, thank you, Mia!" I exclaimed fervently.

Zephyr fluttered over to Ivan.

"You have beaten me. I can take no more." he declared. "I'm going on set, in case anybody comes up with bad intentions. That way, they can kill you first, and maybe I can escape. Don't tell anybody, but I Boost party agility with swift wind." Zephyr disappeared with a "hmph!".

"So, Ivan, how does it feel to have three Djinn?" I asked him curiously.

Ivan held his head in his hands. "Horrible."  
_Three Djinn! Oh, Isaac, you better get another of us soon!_ chattered Flint. _So, Granite, who do you think'll be next?_

_I don't know. Echo? Or maybe...Vine?_

_Oh, yeah, now _he _would spice this place up! _Flint exclaimed.

_How do I turn you guys off?_ I complained mentally.

Flint laughed.

_I wasn't kidding._ I told him seriously. _Don't you guys ever fall asleep?_

I got an image of a nod from Granite. _Of course we do! But with so much action, who needs sleep?_

We continued on until we found a pedestal with an orb on it. I carefully took it.

"It looks like an eye," Garet commented.

"Like at Sol Sanctum!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah!" he agreed. "Like then. Hey, Isaac, undead at four o' clock!"

I spun around to face a ghost and a skeleton. "Too bad they're not living," I commented, "because I'm hungry."

Garet patted his stomach. "Don't remind me!"  
"Yes, don't remind him!" joked Mia cheerfully. "Or we'll never get anywhere!"  
Garet glared at her. "Hey!"

I hid a smile. "Looks like you've found a replacement insulter, huh, Garet?"

He switched his glare to me.

"Are we going to fight them or just let them make _us_ into skeletons?" demanded Ivan. I realized he'd already attacked them a few times.

"Sorry," I apologized, calling Flint mentally. All four of us released our best attack Djinn. The skeleton fell into pieces, and the ghost disappeared into nothingness.

Garet stared. "Well, that was easy."

"We must be getting a lot stronger." Ivan observed. "Not only in weapons, but in Psynergy."

We continued to face a dragon. Not live, though it scared Mia for a second.

"This must be what the eye is for," I figured, jamming the gem in the empty socket. The dragon blew out flames from its mouth, lighting the room.

"This must be the dragon that was spoke of on the slate! 'The dragons flame illuminates the path of truth in darkness.'" Ivan quoted.

We all stared at him.

"I figured it was worth memorizing!" he exclaimed indignantly.

Garet rolled his eyes. "Whatever. But how does that help?"  
"Look," I said, pointing. "See that shadow? You only see shadows in light. That's a shadow of a bridge! All we have to do is get over there and we can cross!"

"Brilliant!" exclaimed Mia. Then she paused. "But, uh...how do we get over there?"  
"Well, I think we've been there before. Remember those stairs over there?" Ivan asked.

"But that was so far back!" Garet protested. I held up a hand.

"You forgot Retreat." I concentrated, and we were spun back to the entrance. The logs had returned to their original places.

"How'd that happen?" asked Garet in bewilderment.

I shrugged. "Beats me."

We continued past the maze, and found the invisible bridge. I gulped. "Uh, Ivan...why don't you go first."

He smiled. "Because it probably wouldn't hurt me if it didn't work?"

I nodded. "You're a Jupiter Adept, so you could solidify the air or something, right?"  
"Right." He took a few steps. And a few more. Finally, he was across. "It's safe!" he called back.

"Okay," I answered. I carefully watched the shadow as I crossed, but not my feet. Step. Step. Up. Right. Up again.

Amazingly, I made it across. I never want to cross an invisible bridge again. Ever, I told myself as Garet and Mia crossed.

We entered the next room. There was another slate, and a chest. Ivan read the slate eagerly. "The secret of Ki shall be revealed to the followers of truth." he read.

"Whatever that's supposed to mean." Garet rolled his eyes.

I carefully approached the treasure chest. When I was satisfied that it wasn't a mimic, I opened it.

Inside was a glowing orb. I took it carefully, placing it in my pack. It looked fragile.

"I think that's what we were here for." I remarked. "Let's go."

We Retreated, and I hoped my hunch was right.


	21. A Mystery Maze

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun

A/N: A _very_ long one.

Also, to answer the anonymous reviews:

Lord Destroyer-yes, Steamshipping means GaretMia. shudders I hate to think of the alternative. Valeshipping _won't_ be onesided, though of course I can't show too much since Jenna disappears for most of the game. Lighthouseshipping is FelixSheba. Thanks for reviewing!

Aaron Sheeler-Thanks for reviewing!

"Master Nyunpa is waiting for you." the man informed us. I nodded, and started hopping ahead.

"Excellent, Isaac!" Nyunpa exclaimed when we returned, soaked.

Garet glared. "What about-"

"I am glad to see you master our secrets! We call the power you have obtained Ki." Nyunpa frowned. "You seem confused, Isaac."

I shook my head. "No, just..."

"You possess great wisdom for one so young, but I feel I must explain this." Nyunpa continued. "It is called "force" by the western world. I will teach you, as I promised. Use this power to go through the forest. What would happen if you let loose this energy in the forest?"

I shrugged.

Nyunpa laughed. "You are curious, no?"  
"Yes...how would it help? You said the forest was like a maze." How could "force" guide you through a maze?  
"Monsters that wait in hiding would show themselves," he explained. "You would then try to defeat them, would you not?"  
I shrugged again. "I guess so."  
Nyunpa nodded. "Sometimes, you must let go of your belief that fighting solves problems. Monsters are cowardly. They will run if they know you can see them. They are creatures of the woods, so they do not get lost there."

"Okay. Thanks." I gestured to the others to leave, but Nyunpa stopped us.

"Wait. Take the ring I keep in that jar. It may prove useful."

Mia walked over to the jar and stuck her hand inside. She retrieved a ring. "What do I do with it?"

I realized she was talking to me. "Uh, I don't know. Keep it, I guess."

Mia shrugged, a habit she'd picked up from Garet and me, and slipped the ring on her finger. "It fits, anyway. Thank you."

We left the building.

"What's the deal with him just talking to you?" demanded Garet. "It's really annoying me!"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we better go on."  
"But I'm still hungry!" Garet protested.

"You are hungry?" questioned the nearest healer. "We have much food for hungry travelers. You should have spoke of it earlier."

The healer went back into the building and returned with some cloths.

"These two contain bread," he told us. "This one holds meat, and this jar holds water." He handed us the packages.

"Thank you," Ivan said.

Right outside the forest, we stopped to eat the food.

"I guess we'd better go." I suggested, when we'd all eaten our fill.

Ivan nodded. "We must make haste. I don't think we want to be caught in the forest at nightfall."

We reached the edge of the forest, and we saw a hollow tree trunk. Next to the trunk was a humanoid furred green monster. When it noticed us, its eyes grew wide and it hopped into the trunk.

On a hunch, I used "Force". I grasped the orb in my hand and concentrated. A hand, invisible to non-Adepts, reached out and punched the stump, scaring the creature out.

It snarled and hopped away to the south.

I turned to the others. "Let's go." I whispered.

"Why the whispering?" wondered Garet loudly.

"Shh!" scolded Mia quietly. "We don't want to scare the monsters out!"

Ivan nodded. "We need to walk quietly, too." he added.

I nodded, and as silently as I could, I started walking through the forest. Mia was following equally quietly, with Garet stomping along. I didn't hear Ivan at all.

I turned around to scold Garet and didn't see Ivan.

"Where's Ivan?" Mia asked.

I shrugged. "How should I know?"  
"I'm up here." Ivan's voice floated down. I looked up to see him floating a foot above our heads.

"It's quieter." he explained.

I nodded, still shaken by the sight. We continued through the forest quietly.

I heard a loud thumping sound. I turned automatically to find Garet had tripped.

"Get up!" Ivan cried urgently."There's monsters heading our way!"

Gust flew down at the three moles that had just burrowed their way up through the earth. I readied and called on Flint.

The mole who Flint attacked burrowed back under, defeated. Mia and Garet attacked another, and I destroyed the final one with my blade.

We continued on quietly. I spotted another stump and discovered another creature, this one orange. It snarled savagely.

It clearly wished to fight us.

Ivan moved first, summoning Jupiter quickly. The monster cried out in pain.

I summoned Venus, infuriating the monster more. It growled and leaped forward to bite Garet. Garet tried to hit it with his axe, but the monster was too fast.

It then froze in its tracks. I wondered what had happened, then I saw Mias arm outstretched, pointed toward the creature.

Garet took the opportunity to summon Mars. This melted the ice inflicted by Mias Mercury.

Seeing my chance, I danced forward with my blade. The creature angrily attacked Mia fiercely, leaving her almost at tears. But she didn't collapse, and she looked more determined than ever when she hit the monster back with her staff.

Garet leaped forward and attacked with his axe. The creature cried in pain, gave us one last glare, and hopped back into its trunk, leaving behind a small bottle.

"Wonder what's in it." I commented. I picked up the bottle, which was filled with a bluish liquid, and shrugged. I dropped it in my bulging pack.

"Ply," murmured Mia. She sighed happily. "That feels so much better."

We moved the logs so we could get through, and we continued on.

I trailed behind the others, still pondering Saturos and Menardi. I munched on an apple as we walked.

Was it possible? Was it imaginable, could it be that Father was...alive? Alive? After all, if Felix was alive...

Felix. Why was he acting so strange, so cold? Was it an act, or was he actually changed by Saturos and Menardi? I dearly hoped it was the former, especially for Jenna's sake.

Jenna. Would we ever rescue her? I rubbed the red stone she'd tossed me. What about her parents?

"Isaac, snap out of it." Garet waved a hand in front of my face. I blinked, and looked down. I'd been just about to fall into the water.

"Oh, uh, sorry." I muttered.

I stopped thinking about our longterm problems-after all, we had more problems at hand.

As we fought a glowing head I struggled to keep my mind off of Saturos and Menardi.

Saturos and Menardi...

"Omigosh! Adepts!" shrieked a shrill voice. I looked around. A Venus Djinni hopped over to me.

It paused a minute. "To keep it safe, I better fight them first. I would hate for them to be the evil kind...and think what a bragging right it would buy me!"  
She (or at least I think it was a she) concentrated. A rock fell on Ivan out of nowhere. Garet and Mia helped him out from under it.

Ivan glared at the Djinn. "Plasma!" he called.

She yelled in pain. I attacked her with my blade. Mia attacked physically, too, but Garet used some sort of volcanic Psynergy.

_Flint, are you ok?_

_Umm...is it ok if all of us Djinn sit this one out? She might get mad at us. Don't worry, the others all know-Gust started a mental message. So...can we?_ Flint asked tentatively.

_Fine, sure, whatever_. I thought absentmindedly.

The ground shook beneath me. I dashed forward with my weapon. Garet and Mia followed suit.

The Djinn looked worried. "I better leave," she muttered, mostly to herself.

Garet blocked her exit. "Oh, no you don't."  
She gulped.

Ivan cast Plasma again and the Djinn screamed in pain. I felt bad for her.

"Fine, I give in!" she cried.

All of the Djinn promptly appeared.

"Hi, Quartz!" exclaimed Gust happily.

I groaned mentally. Quartz, as I remembered from Flints frequent mentions of her, was a busybody and gossip.

"Omigosh, it's you, Gust! Have you heard about Forge and Ember? Did you hear what Ember said about it? She said that-" Quartz paused a minute, noticing Forge was in the group of Djinn surrounding her.

"Oh, uh, hi, Forge!" she giggled.

Forge glared at her.

Gust grinned, or at least as best she could, which actually looked sort of scary. "Quartz, these are brave and noble Adepts! They saved me!"  
"Oh, they did?" Quartz seemed preoccupied. "They may be brave and noble...but do they know any good news?"

Gust nodded. "My Adept, Ivan, read all their minds. He wasn't supposed to keep doing it, but he did. I know all their secrets!"

Ivan was blushing furiously. "I-I was j-just..."

"He does?" Quartz sounded interested. "You do? Tell me one. One of his," she pointed at Garet, "or hers. I'll know all of _his_ secrets." She smiled evilly. I didn't like the thought of that Djinni knowing my secrets, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Gust got the same look in her eye. She started whispering to Quartz, pointing at Garet and giggling.

"Really?"

"What?" Garet asked angrily.

Quartz smiled sweetly. "Nothing. Um, Flint, how about you show me where I'll be? Oh, and I Revive a downed ally."

Flint nodded eagerly. Flint disappeared, with Granite and Quartz following suit.

_Oh, now that's interesting! _Quartz giggled. _By the way, have you heard about Echo and Steel?_

_No. What is it? _asked Granite eagerly.

_I can't believe you, Granite._ complained Flint. _But then again..._

"I see what you meant, Ivan." I muttered.

He nodded sympathetically.

Forge glared sourly at Garet. "Just wait until _you_ get three of us!"

Garet paled.

Forge turned to Fever. "Let's go." he said grumpily.

Fever coughed. "Sure...achoo! I thikk I deed to rest."  
Forge rolled his eyes and disappeared with a pop. Fever followed, coughing.

Fizzs lip began to tremble. "But...but Quartz didn't even _talk_ to me!" she sobbed.

Sleet gave one look at the other Mercury Djinn and disappeared quickly.

"Nobody likes me!" Fizz cried. "Nobody!" She disappeared, leaving a few small teardrops falling in her wake.

I rolled the final log and used Force. The green...thing hopped right from that one and hopped to the next trunk.

"Great, we have to go around." I muttered sarcastically.

We walked around, and I used Force again.

The green creature gave us a glare before hopping away. We followed it.

We lost it before we came to a clearing with three stumps. I used Force on the first stump we came to, figuring that the monster was in a hurry and would hide in the first stump.

I was wrong.

Another orange monster popped out angrily. It only took a few attacks to finish it off.

I tried the middle next. The creature hopped out and started toward the south.

I gulped when we entered the next huge clearing. There were logs placed strategically all over.

"Don't worry." Ivan said when he noticed the look on our faces. "It's not as complicated as it looks. Isaac, use Move on that stone."

I Moved the stone and pushed the log it freed. I used Force to discover the green monster again. It glared at us and hopped to the trunk below.

We moved the logs and used Force again. I could feel my strength sapping away.

We reached another stump...and, the glorious, glorious exit!

I passed the stump eagerly...and I felt the ground shake.

It shook again. I slowly turned to face a huge, blue version of the monsters.

I gulped.

"Um, I-I think you need to turn around." I stuttered.

"What?" asked Garet. And then he saw the thing. It reared and attacked him.

Ivan noticed it and cast Plasma. The monster roared.

"Uh...Earthquake." I muttered. The blue creature was tossed off its feet. It did not look happy.

"Ice!" commanded Mia.

"Flare Wall!" shouted Garet.

The blue monster roared again, and concentrated on Psynergy. Garet shuddered. "It...it blocked my Psynergy somehow!"

A whirlwind enveloped the monster. It snarled.

Mia healed Garet from his earlier attack. He reached into his pack and tossed something at the creature. Its eyes closed and it collapsed, not dead but...asleep?

"How did you do that?" I asked in bewilderment.

He shrugged. "I found it in Vault."

"Let's leave before it wakes up." I decided, leading the way. The monster roared. It had awakened.

"Great." I muttered. "Just great."

The thing concentrated, and I could feel my Psynergy being blocked. It felt horrible, having no Psynergy. I hadn't had it just a year ago, but now it seemed second nature.

Ivan summoned Jupiter, and I followed his lead and summoned Venus.

Mia grinned. "I've got more firepower than that." She summoned Nereid. The monster snarled.

"Mars!" called Garet.

The creature concentrated again, and I prepared for Mia or Ivan to call out. But the Psynergy failed, and Ivan cast Plasma.

While it was distracted, I hit it with my sword. Mia dashed forward with her staff, and Garet with his axe.

_I'm set!_ cried Flint happily.

"Ooh-ah-ee!" cried the monster. Garet cringed.

"I-erree-uhow." he said, his mouth not moving. He collapsed.

Gust flew forward. "You shall not harm these brave, kind, wonderful, and noble Adepts!"

_Now!_ I thought to Flint.

"Yee-hah!" squeaked Flint.

Sleet grumpily stomped out. "I'm never hiding in a lighthouse again." he muttered as his name fell on the creature.

"I can move!" Garet cried happily.

"Ooh-ah-ee!" the monster shouted again, and Garet froze once more.

"Jupiter!" called Ivan.

I summoned Venus while Mia ran over to Garet. "Fizz," I could hear her murmur.

I realized my Psynergy had returned. The creature attempted to bind Garet again, but it didn't work, from the look on his face.

Ivan dashed forward and hit the monster with his staff. The monster hopped away, dropping a small blue gem. I pocketed it, and we headed on.


	22. Xian

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun

I rolled over. These sheets were uncomfortable.

I was in the Inn in Xian. We'd reached it last night, and I'd practically passed out.

Yawning, I stumbled out of bed. Mia and Ivan were missing from their cots, but Garet was still laying under his covers, snoring.

I walked downstairs to find Mia at the breakfast table.

"Ivan's already outside." she muttered as a greeting.

I nodded. "Will you help me get Garet up?"  
Mia grimaced. "I'll try."

We tried shaking, earthquakes, jumping up and down. Finally I reached into my pack and pulled out the blue gem the creature had dropped.

"Maybe this does something useful." I concentrated.

"Isaac, stop! You don't know-" But she was cut off by a yell from a soaking wet Garet.

"Neat." I grinned.

Garet sat up. "Wha-what happened?"

Mia giggled. "Isaac used Psynergy."  
Garet glared at her. "That was water Psynergy! Admit it, Mia, you did it."  
"Did not!" she protested. "He used that gem."  
I looked at them innocently. "Gem? What gem?"

Mia shot me a glare. "That blue jewel you're hiding in your hand!"  
"What jewel?" I opened my hands to show her they were empty.

"You hid it somewhere." she growled.

"Admit it, Mia! No use blaming Isaac!" Garet stood up.

"What? But-but I didn't do it!" Mia exclaimed.

"Right..." I said, stretcChing out the word sarcastically.

Mia made a "hmph" noise and stomped downstairs. I couldn't help it. I burst out laugChing.

"You _did _do it, didn't you?" accused Garet.

I grinned. "Well, yeah, I did."  
"You liar!"

"What? I never lied! I just asked what she was talking about!"

Garet rolled his eyes and started putting his boots on. I shook my sleeve so that the gem fell into my hand and stowed it in my pack once more.

I headed downstairs to find Mia gone. I shrugged, ate my breakfast, and left the Inn.

Mia and Ivan were nearby, looking at the mulberry trees.

"Hi!" I called.

Mia jumped. "You scared me!"  
"Sorry," I told her.

Garet lumbered out of the Inn, still holding a piece of toasted bread. "Why'd everyone leave?"  
I shrugged. "Let's explore."

We witnessed a small boy flip a piece of wood completely over by kicking it. Struck with an idea, I used Force. It Chit the wood straight in the middle and made it jump in the air.

"Wha-what happened?" the boy stuttered. "The tree jumped on its own!"  
Noticing us, he added, "If you did that, you should speak to Master Feh."

I nodded.

A girl was carrying water from the small waterfall pool to a jar.

"Hi!" greeted Garet. The girl was so surprised she spilled some of her water.

"Look what you made me do!" she shouted. "Now I have to get the water again!"

"I'm sorry!" exclaimed Garet. "I'll help, if you want me to."

The girl sniffed. "Do not worry. Please consider your debt canceled."

Mia walked over to the spilled water. She waved her hands above it.

"What are you doing?" asked Ivan curiously.

In an answer, the water drew up and froze.

"Why-oh. I see."

"What?" I demanded. Ivan pointed to a nearby ledge.

A Mercury Djinni was relaxing on the soft grass.

Mia climbed the nearby stairs and clambered over the ice.  
She gestured for us to follow.

The Djinn yawned. "What is all this noise?"  
Fizz popped out. "Hey, it's Mist!"

Sleet followed her. "Oh, hi, Mist."

Forge and Fever popped into view.

"Great, just what we need, another Mercury Djinni." grumbled Forge.

Mist didn't seem to be paying attention.

Gust, Breeze, and Zephyr popped out.

Zephyr poked Mist cautiously. "It's probably a trap."

"No, that's the real Mist." Gust disagreed.

Fizz started sobbing.

Forge glared at her.

Flint, Granite, and Quartz all popped out.

"How interesting." Quartz remarked, the same instant that Flint and Granite shouted "hi"s and Forge yelled at Fizz and Fizz cried louder and Sleet grumbled and Fever coughed and Zephyr and Breeze complained and Gust tried to wake Mist up.

It was total chaos.

On a sudden urge, I used Earthquake.

The Jupiter Djinn started screaming about earthquakes. Fizz tried to hide behind Sleet. And Mist hopped up.

"What happened?" he wondered. "I was," here he yawned loudly, "just taking," again, "a little catnap." He yawned again. "I think I need to go back to sleep. I'm hallucinating, seeing all these Djinn. And Adepts, too!"

"We're not hallucinations!" exclaimed Gust indignantly. "And these noble, brave, kind, and wonderful Adepts most certainly aren't!"

Mist yawned. "Oh, it's you, Gust."  
"Join us!" cried Flint eagerly. "These Adepts need more Djinn!"

Mist yawned again. "If I join you, can I take lots of naps?"  
"Sure!" exclaimed Fizz happily.

"Then I'll go on set now. I was just having this marvelous dream." Mist disappeared, with Fizz and Sleet following.

Mia looked a little frightened. "I agree with you two, Ivan and Isaac. Three Djinn are a bit too many."

All the other Djinn set themselves. I could hear a two-against-one arguement going on inside my head. But, truth be told, I didn't really mind.

We entered a large building.

"This is Master Feh's school. Did you come to watch?" asked a man.

I shrugged. "I guess so."

"Be quiet, then."

Men all over the room were training fiercely, punching, kicking, or just exercising. I spoke to one person who wasn't training.

"May we speak to...um, Master Feh?" I asked.

"Master Feh is very busy." the man informed us. "However, if you are a good warrior, he might see you. Look there. See that line? Stand there and use Chi. If that tree falls, I will take you to see Master Feh."

Garet, Ivan, and Mia stepped back.  
I was afraid to ask what "Chi" was. I stood on the line and used Force. The tree toppled.

The man let out a cry of astonishment. "What happened? The tree fell on its own! Warriors cannot use...wait. this is...different than Chi."

Another man piped up. "What did you do, warrior?"  
"He knows kung fu!" exclaimed another. "Do you know kung fu?" he asked me.

"Uh, no." I answered plainly.

"I must tell Master Feh!" the man decided, marching towards the door in the corner of the room. I heard him shout, "What happened?! The door opened on its own!"

I could hear people passing through the doorway, and I caught sight of a girl with strange violet hair.

"Feizhi! Wait!" cried a deep voice. Master Feh, I thought to myself. "Are you worried that Hsu is late?"

"Yes." she answered.

"He is only a little late in returning from Lama Temple." I wondered what kind of religion these people believed in. "Do not worry!"

Feizhi turned away from us. "Something is wrong with Hsu. I sense it." she breathed.

"Oh. Feizhi, is it your power again?" inquired Master Feh.

"Yes. You know that ever since those gems fell from the sky and hit me I've been able to sense bad things." Feizhi answered.

"You say you sense evil ever since you received the power of prophecy." stated Master Feh. "You have told me already. I do not believe it, Feizhi. Your visions are just coincidences."

"My visions came true many times, no? I had a vision about Mogall Forest, and that came true."

"Yes, your predictions came true, Feizhi. It was very surprising!" exclaimed the man I'd spoken to.

"The flood in Altin, did I not predict that, too?" Feizhi asked.

Another man nodded. "All of her predictions come true." he agreed.

"See, Father?" Father? Master Feh was her father?

"I have heard this all." admitted Master Feh. "I was surprised, too, but it is still coincidence."

Feizhi sounded puzzled. "You still don't believe it?"

"Hsu is late, so you worry too much." her father pronounced firmly. "But do not think bad thoughts."

He sounded like the main healer back in Vale. The healer insisted that thinking good thoughts would make good things happen. But things don't always turn out that way, do they? I thought bitterly. I don't think that the boulder was a result of bad thoughts. Neither was the kidnapping...

I pushed all thoughts of Vale and Jenna out of my mind. We had more current problems.

By this time, Feizhi was shouting.

"I will not ask anyone. I will go alone, then!" she shouted defiantly.

"It is too dangerous." protested Master Feh.

Feizhi, tears sparkling in her eyes, stomped out the door angrily.

"Master Feh! Feizhi has gone!" exclaimed a man.

"Feizhi was very angry." added a voice behind me. "She was frightening!"

The man who'd gone to speak to Master Feh spoke. "Hsu is in danger. Feizhi will help."

"Feizhi knows kung fu." Master Feh sounded more like he was comforting himself than the students. "She will be all right. Feizhi is alone. She cannot go far. She will give up soon enough. Until then, let her be."

He stepped into my line of sight and walked right past me. I turned my head in time to see him right the tree.

"The tree...what happened?" demanded Master Feh.

The man nearest to the door rushed over. "The warrior did it. He used Chi."

Master Feh turned to me. I noticed Garet, Mia, and Ivan were moving forward cautiously, not trying to be noticed but not trying to be ignored, either.

"Warrior, you can use Chi?" asked Master Feh curiously.

"Maybe if you told us what this 'Chi' is, he might be able to answer that!" Garet interjected, at the same moment I replied "no."

"Chi focuses the power of the body into the hand. Show me your Chi." he commanded.

I nodded and used Force again. The tree toppled once more.

Master Feh looked surprised. "The tree fell! But...this is not Chi."

The warriors all around the room looked amazed.

"Yes, it looks similar, but it is not Chi." Master Feh confirmed. "Have you been to visit Master Nyunpa?"  
Mia jumped in this time, apparently tired of her silence. "Yes, we have been."

Master Feh did not show surprise. "I knew it."

"What does Chi have to do with Master Nyunpa?" wondered a warrior.

"I learned my Chi from Master Hama. She is of Lama Temple." answered Master Feh.

The warrior seemed puzzled. "Then it is the same as Chi, is it not?"

Master Feh shook his head. "Very similar. But still different."

I had to hide a laugh. What he said sounded like Jennas favorite expression, "Same difference."

"Chi uses power focused from the body. That warrior used energy focused from the mind." he explained. "The power to will something to move requires much wisdom. Nyunpa's Ki releases the energy of the mind as Chi releases the energy of the body. The energy of the body has limits, but mental energy has few. Train your Ki. It will grow very strong. Do your best, warrior."

Garet looked angry at this disregard for them. I planned to apologize as soon as we got away from Master Feh.

"Practice, everyone!" cried Master Feh, clearly ending the discussion.

"Let's go." I whispered, tugging on Garets arm.

He nodded, and we left first the school, and then all of Xian.

It was time to see this "Lama Temple"...


	23. Lost and Afraid

Disclaimer: I don't in any way own Golden Sun.

A/N: An entire chapter almost completely out-of-game. Amazing.

Lord Destroyer, again, thank you for reviewing but I'm sticking with Lighthouseshipping. Frankly I despise Duskshipping. Don't worry, there's hardly enough to notice-the focus is on Valeshipping. And it isn't going to be any real romance or anything, just hints. Very obvious hints in some parts. (Like with my Steamshipping in chapter 21. That was Garet's secret, obviously-that he has a huge crush on Mia.)

Feizhi was at the exit to town. She regarded us with solemn eyes, but did not speak.

I shrugged and we continued along the path. We came to a split. A dark brown path went one way and a lighter one went the other.

"Which one?" wondered Ivan.

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter. How about dark brown?"  
Mia shrugged also. "Fine with me."  
Ivan looked one way, then the other. "I've got a...nevermind. That path is fine with me."  
Garet nodded.

We started down the dark brown path. After about 15 yards, we were attacked.

A skeleton and a ghost were our foes. Ivan reacted almost immediately, calling Gust. She flew at the skeleton.

I readied.

_Flint? _

_I'm here,_ he replied. _Ready?_

_Yeah._ I answered.

"Take _this_!" he squeaked loudly, tossing himself at the ghost. I didn't have time to watch-Garet had just unleashed Fever. I stepped back as the Djinni sneezed.

Mist trudged forward as the air thickened with humidity...thicker, thicker...

I couldn't see anything. When the fog cleared, the ghost was gone.

"Great," I complimented Mist.

The Mercury Djinni yawned. "No problem."

"Let's head on." Ivan said worriedly, glancing up at the skies. "It's still afternoon, but I think it'll storm tonight. We don't want to be caught out in it."

Garet shuddered. "Definitely not. Mmm...I hope those people at that Lama place will have lots of food. We didn't even have lunch!"

"Did you forget that monster breakfast you ate? The innkeepers were glad to be rid of us because of your appetite!" Mia reminded him.

I started thinking of Saturos and Menardi. Had they already reached this "temple", even passed it, maybe?

The path ended abruptly, leading into dense forest.

Ivan looked even more worried. "I...oh, nevermind."

"What?" asked Mia.

Ivan bit his lip. "Just a...feeling."

"What kind of feeling?" asked Garet unexpectedly.

"A...bad feeling." Ivan shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

Mia looked concerned, but she returned to her place among us.

"Well, um, let's go." I broke the silence.

"Right." Garet answered, giving a worried look at Ivan and Mia.

I spared them a glance. Ivan seemed lost in his thoughts, as always. Mia was watching Garet as he followed me into the forest.

I tore my gaze from my companions and returned it to the forest scenery around me as we entered a clearing. It really would seem beautiful if not for the threatening rumblings of distant thunder.

A bird fluttered alongside us, looking fascinated by Gust.

"Hi!" chirped Gust cheerfully. "Do I know you?"  
The bird tweeted frantically and shrilly, struggling to fly in the opposite direction.

Gust looked a little confused.

"Watch out! Monster alert!" warned Mia as Garet and I started to brush aside some vines.

I spun quickly to find a bat and mole, although transformed horrifically by the Psynergy Stones.

"Venus!" I cried.

Mia swiped at the bat with her sword.

"Mars!" shouted Garet.

The mole crept back underground and the bat flew off.

"Ply," I heard Mia murmur. "Oh! It just won't work!"

I glanced in the direction of the voice to find Ivan with a wound on his arm.

"The mole got him before I noticed." she explained when she noticed my stare. She looked concerned.

"I...think...it had...poison on its claws." Ivan said weakly.

"But I don't have any antidotes! I just wish I could do _something_!" Mia's aqua eyes were wide and troubled.

Garet knelt down beside her. "That green stuff's the poison, right?"  
"I think so!" she cried shrilly. "I don't know!" Mia twisted the ring on her finger nervously.

"Don't panic, guys." I tried to sound calm.

"Hey! The...the poison is disappearing!" Garet exclaimed.

Mia leaned over Ivan. "You're right!"  
Ivan attempted to smile. "Psynergy...it must be...but how?"  
My brow furrowed. I knew, I just _knew_ that there was something that had happened in the last few minutes that was tugging at my brain...but what?

"That's it!" I cried suddenly. Mia and Garet stared.

"The ring! Nyunpa's ring! He said it might help...this is what he meant! It destroys poison!" I realized.

Ivan tried to sit up. "You're right! The ring...it has to be."

"I wonder if we can master this Psynergy?" Mia wondered. "I know one thing-I don't want any experience!"

"Are you forgetting something?" Garet prompted.

"What...oh! Right! Ply..." She concentrated. I could see a small fairy floating above Ivan.

"That feels so much better!" he exclaimed, sitting up and then standing. "Let's go!"

I looked at Ivan skeptically.

"Really, I feel fine!" he insisted.

I exchanged a glance with Garet. He shrugged. I did the same.

"Well, c'mon, then." I said finally, leading the way deeper into the forest.

Through the trees, this way, that. Finally, we reached a bridge. It was early evening now, as the sky and my stomach informed me.

"I'm hungry." complained Garet.

"We all are." Mia snapped. Then she looked surprised. "Oh...I'm sorry. I'm just hungry and tired."  
"Join the party." I muttered.

"I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but we've got a problem." reported Ivan, returned from his scout trip over the bridge.

"Only one?" I joked lamely.

"Well, another one." Ivan corrected. "We've got monsters."  
Garet groaned. "Just what we need."

"What are they?" I asked.

"A monster like in Mogall Forest and another mole." Ivan replied. "And they're heading our way."

Just then, we heard a savage shriek.

The mogall (Mia's name, not mine) bounded over the bridge. I met it with my sword.

The mole lumbered across the bridge, and I rushed to meet it when they both burst into flame.

"Good one!" I called back to Garet.

"Jupiter!" shouted Ivan.

"Tundra!" yelled Mia.

The monsters decided that we were too tough for them and slunk off.

"Tundra?" I asked Mia as we regrouped.

She shrugged. "It just...came to me."

Across the bridge we found we were on an island.

I groaned. "A dead end! We'll have to camp here...with the storm coming on and night falling."

Garet made a face. "No supper!"  
"Except for fruit." pointed out Ivan, grabbing a pear and munching it. "Want one?"  
Garet sighed and took one.

I sank down onto the soft grass of the meadow, refusing any food. I'd led us wrong.

_You're gloomier than Smog,_ remarked Flint.

_I'm not in the mood for your jabbering,_ I told him crabbily.

_You never are, are you? _Granite observed.

_How interesting._ noted Quartz.

"Isaac!" called Garet.

I sighed and stood up. "I'm coming!"

"Quickly!" shouted Mia urgently.

I dashed towards them. "What is it?"  
Garet wordlessly pointed at the Mars Djinni in front of them. "It doesn't seem friendly."

The Djinni stared at Garet. "You don't seem friendly." it mocked.

Gust whirled forward. "Do not lay a hand on these virtuous, chivalrous Adepts!"

The Djinni glared. "I had hoped we'd get along." It flicked its hand (sort of) almost lazily, sending an explosion at the other three.

But it was distracted, so I used the blue gem.

"Douse!" it spat.

Sleet trudged forward. "Oh, it's you, Corona." He brightened, then withered. "But...I have to attack you." Sleet piled down on Corona.

She must have shrugged, because some of the sleet slipped off. "I forgive you."

"Mars!" cried Garet.

Ivan had just finished applying herbs to his burns.

"These guys are tough." Corona commented. She turned and started to dash away, but Ivan blocked her exit.

"Fine." she growled, then shrieked as I used my sword.

"Nereid!" Mia shouted.

After the effects of Nereid wore off, except for the Djinni being slightly dazed, Garet rushed forward with his mace.

"Fine! I give up!" Corona cried. "I Boost party defense with a heat aura. 'Bye."

I looked at her, confused. She was no doubt the strangest Djinni we'd ever encountered-because she was normal.

She disappeared with a pop.

BOOM! I jumped as I heard the thunder.

"I-I'm going to bed, everyone." I stuttered.

Ivan nodded. "I'll be the lookout."  
I hid myself under my few blankets, shivering, and not just because of the chilly temperatures.

BOOM! Lightning flashed, thunder pounded. I burrowed deeper.

I remembered how I'd spent every storm since the accident with Garet and Jenna. And I realized with a jolt that this was the first storm since the kidnapping.

BOOM! Even through my closed eyes, I saw the lightning flick.

Deeper. Jenna'd been terrified of storms, and who could blame her? I was, too, but not as scared as Jenna. That's why at the first storm after the accident, I had offered for the three of us to "camp out" in my house.

BOOM! They were becoming more frequent. During our campouts, we'd pretended we were off on an adventure, to rescue a princess or find an elixir or something heroic like that.

BOOM! I was as deep into my blankets as I could go. I was only thankful it wasn't raining. Garet and I had solemnly promised to always spend the storms with Jenna, wherever we were...I only wished we could.

BOOM! Sleep, I ordered myself. Sleep...

A/N: Everyone who hasn't reviewed, please do, and everyone who has, thank you, and please keep reading!


	24. Blocked Passage

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

A/N: What a long chapter, and I didn't even cover it all.

Lord Destroyer, no, I don't watch Dragonball Z. But I think Garet could win, anyway.

I awoke out of a deep sleep to see the first strains of sunlight on the horizon. I'd actually gotten a decent sleep after the storm calmed down.

I picked another pear and munched it thoughtfully. My mistake wasn't too bad.

Amazingly, Garet was actually awake.

"What did you guys _do _to get him up?" I demanded.

Mia giggled. "It only took an Ice."

Ivan was trying unsuccessfully to hide his grin. "He jumped right out of bed."  
Garet glared at us. "Hey, I'm right here!"

"Let's go, guys." I said cheerfully.

It took most of the morning to get to where we started, slightly north of Xian. But I didn't mind.

I had spent my time imagining this "Lama Temple". What was it like? I also envisioned a scene of us defeating both Saturos and Menardi at the next lighthouse, stopping them from lighting it, and saving Jenna.

We reached another split in the path.

"Let's go with light brown, this time." suggested Ivan.

"I hope this place has _lots_ of food." Garet commented.

We reached another split, nestled in the mountains. I paused to read the sign, but before I had a chance to, I heard a familiar voice ring.

"Silk Road! Boulders block the road!" cried Feizhi angrily. She dashed right past the four of us, apparently not noticing us. Maybe it runs in the family.

"My vision...it came true!" she exclaimed. "Hsu! Hsu!"  
She ran out of our line of sight.

"Let's follow her." Ivan muttered.

I nodded, and we crept behind Feizhi to find huge stones blocking that way.

"It is no good." she sobbed. "I cannot hear Hsu's voice!" Then, hearing us behind her, she turned and asked, "What do I do? Warriors, should I return to Xian?"

"I don't think you can do anything else here." Ivan observed. "Yes, I think so."

Feizhi shook her head angrily. "Going back is no option! I must find Hsu."

"But-"  
"No! I must find him." Feizhi turned away angrily.

I glanced at the sign to discover that the only way we could go was the wrong direction-towards "Altin Mines." "Lama Temple" was to the west.

"What do we do?" wondered Garet.

I shrugged. "The only thing we can-go on to 'Altin Mines'."

"But that's the wrong way, isn't it?" asked Mia, confused. "We were heading for Lama Temple."  
Ivan nodded. "But this is the only way we can go. We have to."

We trudged north and then west to find ourselves in a town.

A gloomy looking man stood near the entrance, glancing down at a huge pool of water. "Is this your first time to visit Altin?"  
I nodded. "Yes, sir."  
"We must look a lot like a coastal town, eh?" the man persisted.

I nodded once again.

"Nothing gets by you." the man said sarcastically. "Altin never even had a well in the good old days. Water-spewing _monsters_ are what waterlogged the village."  
I glanced down at the pool once again. Sure enough, it covered houses, ladders, stairs.

"How nasty." Garet commented.

"Yes." Mia agreed. "I doubt it would be safe to go into that water, either."  
"Why?" I asked.

"Monster saliva doesn't sound very sanitary, and it could be poisonous." Ivan answered for her.

Walking along the edge of the water, I spotted a monster.

It was blue and green, large, and hideous. It snarled at us from adding more water to the pool and hopped into a nearby cave.

I heaved a sigh. "Looks like we better go after it."

We entered the cavern. It was dimly lit, with a single torch visible. I saw the monster after the first bend in the path.

It snarled and hopped off. It waddled over to a small puddle of water and the water drew up and froze.

"Didn't you do that in Xian, Mia?" Garet asked. The monster climbed a ladder, hopped over its ice, and sat smugly on the next platform.

She nodded. "Let's follow it."

I held a finger to my lips. Everyone nodded.

I slunk forward, stepping as lightly as I could so as not to scare the monster off. We had to help these people.

By the time I reached the monster, it had jumped onto the platform below and was spewing water into the growing pool. I waited for the others, then we quietly slid down an indenture in the face.

The monster didn't notice us-or so I thought. When all of us were not-so-safely on the ground, the creature turned and snarled, inviting us to fight.

So we did.

Gust once again spun forward. The monster snarled again, thrown against the wall. Gust flew back to perch on Ivan's shoulder.

The thing turned and breathed at Mia and Ivan. Water poured from its mouth.

_Flint! Flint!_ I called urgently.

"Take this, you monster!"

Mia was taking the time to use Mist too. He sleepily trudged forward at the same instant as Flint.

By the time the mist cleared, the monster was looking pretty bad.

A Mars Djinn stepped out. She waved a hand. "You're protected now." the newest Djinn muttered, returning to Garet.

Breeze stomped out. "Don't you know that's _my_ job? Anyway, yeah, now you're doubly protected." He shot a glare at me. "Even Flint."

I ignored him and concentrated on making a spire fall on the monster. It growled angrily, swiping at Ivan with its feet.

Sleet, muttering as always, stomped out. He waved a hand.

Fever stepped out, sneezing. Sleet made a face.

The monster snarled, turning its head this way and that like a dog. I realized he'd been blinded by Fever.

_Granite! We need you!_ I mentally beckoned.

_Finally,_ he grumbled. _You never need me._

_That's because we didn't need protection! But we do now! Please!_

_I'm coming!_ Apparently Granite wasn't having the best of days. I wasn't, either, now that I thought of it, but I wasn't all crabby.

When I looked up, deadly arrows were flying at the monster. An Atalanta, courtesy of Ivan, I was sure.

The monster did the breathing thing again-only directed at Garet and me. I felt the water, which was scalding hot, hit me. I grimaced.

Ivan seemed very weak now. Mia rushed to him and caught him on the verge of collapse. I heard her murmur, "Fizz."

Fizz flew forward, sobbing about how the other Mercury Djinn left her all alone, etc. Meanwhile Garet was using a Kirin. The monster, scorched, collapsed. Another vial of blue liquid fell out of its outstretched sort-of hand.

The forfeit.

I took the jar carefully, but it wouldn't fit in my pack. I shrugged and handed it to Mia. Without the monster, the pond drained immediately. A blue gem sparkled.

Garet reached down and grabbed it. A small puddle of water lay between the broken path. With a wicked grin, Garet concentrated.

"Garet!" Mia scolded, but it was too late. The water drew up and froze.

He shrugged. "Hey, it worked, right?"

"But you didn't know what could have happened, just like Isaac and that Douse-"

Knowing that this could go on for awhile, I broke in. "Let's go, everyone."  
They nodded.

Back outside, I noticed that with the loss of a monster, the water had decreased out here, too. There must be a major leak in this town somewhere.

The herb shop was open, one submerged house was above water, and another cave was available. I sighed.

"It looks like we better go in there." I gestured to the cavern.

Garet nodded resignedly.

We entered the narrow cavern. There were wooden beams above our heads.

We followed some sort of path, passing doors but not going in them. I was thinking of our quest. Sure, it felt good helping these people, they needed it, and we had nowhere else to go, but where were Saturos, Menardi, Alex, Felix, Kraden, and Jenna? Had they gotten by Silk Road before the boulders fell? Were they at Lama Temple, past it, maybe? Or were they trapped, like us? I knew one thing for certain-they wouldn't be here. I was sure Saturos and Menardi had no interest in helping people in need.

We encountered some slimy monsters and I barely noticed. This cave was all uniform. It made me feel rather sleepy.

I wondered what Jenna'd thought of the storm last night. I was sure she'd been scared. Had Felix comforted her, or was he truly one of _them_? Hidden deep inside that horrible person, was there my childhood friend?

No matter how much I hoped, I doubted it. I wanted it to be true...but "Sir Felix" would never had acted this way. I remembered longingly the times before the accident when the four of us would play "explorers". I missed it. We had still explored after the accident, of course, but it wasn't the same. And now Garet and I were exploring for real, but without Felix or Jenna.

I would much rather be a pretend explorer with them than a real one without them.

I caught sight of another monster and pushed my friends out of my mind.

We couldn't reach the monster from here but it wasn't far. It was filling up an already deep pool.

"Hey, look at this!" Garet called. I automatically looked up.

A box with wheels was resting on the path.

"A cart for the track!" exclaimed Ivan. We looked at him strangely.

He pointed to the box. "We get in this and it rides along the track. Let's try it!"  
I wasn't so sure I wanted to get in that contraption, but I stood cautiously in it. When all four of us were in it, Ivan told me, "Just lean forward to get it started."  
Garet and Mia were looking at me expectantly. I swallowed and shouted, "Lean forward!"

We rode along bumpily...and then we stopped.

Ivan looked confused for a second, and then hopped out of the cart. He pushed a lever that I hadn't noticed.

He got back in the cart. "Lean forward!" I called again. We rode back to the original place.

"Nothing changed." observed Garet.

"It'll change when we ride back."

We rode all the way over to the monster, still spewing water. I held up a hand and applied a quick paste to some of my worse wounds. Then we attacked it from behind.

"Ramses!" I cried. The creature made a face that looked like it was supposed to be a wince. It growled and bit Garet. Garet stared down at his wound in distaste.

Gust rocketed down from the ceiling at the monster.

Fever attacked.

And then Mia raised her hands. "Neptune!" she called.

Even for a creature of the water element, that must have felt horrible. I winced myself at the wounds it sported.

"Sleep..." Ivan soothed. But the monster didn't give in.

I gave him an incredulous look. "You can do that?"  
He shrugged. "Well, I can try. Breeze suggested it."  
I tried to imagine Breeze suggesting anything that didn't have anything to do with something unpleasant for Venus Adepts or Flint, and failed. While I was attempting, the monster hit me with its oversized bird-like talons.

Angrily, I swung back, catching a gill. Mia dashed forward with her own weapon.

"Mars!" shouted Garet.

_I'm set!_ Flint squeaked happily.

_Great, then go!_ I ordered.

"Jupiter!" Ivan commanded.

"FIRE!" yelled Garet. A huge fireball zoomed at the creature. It promptly collapsed, also dropping a blue vial. I handed this one to Ivan.

"Good one." Mia complimented Garet.

He shrugged. "No big deal."

The water had been draining during the battle, and now the moat-like pool was no more. We rode back on the mine cart in silence.

Ivan led the way, but where he was leading, I had no idea. When I asked, he simply replied, "Just a hunch."

I thought we were retracing our steps, but I couldn't be sure. I hadn't paid much attention when we'd passed the first time.

Finally, we reached our destination. He stopped in front of the door we'd passed.

Inside, we found...another mine cart.

"Forward!" I called needlessly.

While we rode, I turned to Mia. "How did you know Alex, anyway?"  
"He was...a friend, and a student..." She trailed off. I could see that it was painful for her to talk about him, so I just nodded and returned to my own thoughts.

We found ourselves few fights as we walked silently along the passage. The water-spewing monsters had probably scared them off.

We traveled on carefully. I struggled to keep my mind on the puzzles and battles, but I failed. Jenna...I wished I could be a Jupiter Adept. Maybe I could communicate with Jenna. Maybe even Felix.

Another monster. Just what I need. I thought, not sarcastically. I need something to get my mind back on our current problems.

I concentrated. When we spotted a puddle, I decided, "We need to use Frost."

Hop across, get in cart. Open chest, great, it's a shield, no, really, you can have it, Garet. Okay, fine, I'll take it. Thank you.

All automatic. I was paying attention, but my mind was...missing. I was a shell. My mind couldn't be here, it was off wandering. Begging for me to return to the quest.

But I couldn't. We were trapped.

Back in the cart, what to do now? I forced myself to think about it. Go find the switch.

Jump down...oh, I couldn't take it anymore!

I walked to the left, concentrating on not thinking about Jenna. Felix.

Stop it! It was a mental battle.

I won. I flipped the switch once I found it, then led the way back. Garet and Mia were talking in hushed voices, maybe about me. I didn't really care.

"Everyone! Isaac! Garet!" shouted Mia. I turned to look.

"Monster alert!" Ivan yelled.

Two eight-legged aquatic creatures. I attacked one with my sword. The others were also using physical attacks. They had seen what I had-save the Psynergy, Djinn and summons for the real monsters.

The monsters gave up. They crawled off in search of better prey.

I hopped back in the cart. Garet followed. So did Mia. Ivan hesitated, but then took his place.

How many more monsters? How many more?

"Let's take a break." Garet suggested.

I agreed. We needed all the strength we could gather...


	25. The Mystery of the Statues

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun. Obviously.

A/N: Rating changed for violence.

Lord Destroyer, the answer is yes.

We had returned to town after defeating another monster. An old couple greeted us happily.

"So, warriors, tell me, where are you headed?" the man asked.

"Um, toward Lama Temple." I answered, surprised. Why did the old man care?

"There should be a passage that leads west at the bottom of the mine." he informed us.

I was filled with new vigor. I marched over to the armor shop to spend some of our hard-earned coins.

"Look! The final entrance!" exclaimed Mia after we exited. She pointed wildly at a cave.

I climbed down the ladder quickly and dashed over to the cavern. There was a door right in front of us, but it was blocked by a gigantic rock. I rushed to the right.

Through another door, into a gloomier looking room. Then into another, brighter, one.

The tracks I'd been following ended, but the passage continued. I reached a split.

"Which one?" wondered Ivan.

"Right." I said on a hunch. I followed the passage.

Another split. I took right again. Three more of the aquatic creatures faced us at the edge of a turn.

I grinned. I leaped forward with my rapier, and took on all three.

"Great." Garet commented as we passed the unconscious monsters.

Into another dimly lit room.

"Look!" Mia exclaimed again. She gestured to a ledge where a Mercury Djinni sat. We couldn't reach it now.

"We'll get it in a minute." I assured her cheerily.

I Moved a pillar; Garet Froze a puddle.

Flip the switch, hop, hop. I went around the room cheerfully. We would get to the temple. We _would_ catch up to Saturos and Menardi.

Get in the cart, lean forward. We reached the Djinni.

"I'll do it!" it cried with resolution. "I'll fight those Adepts! I will become an attack Djinni!"  
I exchanged a glance with Garet. He looked skeptical. The Djinni tossed itself at us.

Garet stepped easily out of the way. The Djinni looked angry.

_Flint! _I summoned mentally.

Flint zoomed forward. Gust spun towards the Mercury Djinni. Fever faintly trudged over to it. And Mist sleepily waddled over.

"I surrender!" The Djinni called.

I raised an eyebrow, and muttered to Mia, "I don't think you want an attack Djinni that surrenders after four attacks."  
"You don't understand!" it shouted. "I'm a...I'm a..." It apparently couldn't bring itself to identify it.

Just then Sleet and Fizz popped out.

"It's...it's you, Spritz!" Fizz exclaimed, tears of joy in her eyes.

The remaining Djinn all put themselves on standby, not wanting to miss the excitement.

"Don't I feel loved." Corona commented. "Nobody came out when I joined you guys."

"Don't feel bad." Gust fluttered over to her. "We were asleep."  
Mist yawned. "Speaking of sleeping, can Spritz join us already? I'm verrrrrry sleepy." he said, yawning again in the middle of "very."

Spritz looked angry. "I can't believe it. I've got an Adept already, before I could become an attack Djinni."

"What are you?" Mia persisted.

"He's a healing Djinni." Gust answered matter-of-factly. "He can Restore party health with soothing mist."

Spritz hid his face in his hands. "The embarrassment! A...a male Djinni being...a _healing_ Djinni!"

"Why is it embarrassing?" I asked in spite of myself.

Spritz shot a glare at me and refused to answer.

"Really, why?" Garet asked.

Spritz heaved a sigh. "Only..._girls_ are supposed to be healing Djinn. Being a protecting Djinni is perfectly respectable, and I'd love to be a warrior."  
"But Gust is an attack Djinni." Ivan pointed out.

"I know. Most females wouldn't be interested, though."

Gust stuck her head high. She made a "hmph!" noise.

Spritz glared at her. "I think I'll retire to my room."

He set himself. He was followed by the rest of the Djinn.

"Four Djinn!" wailed Mia. She clutched her head.

I sent her a sympathetic look. "Are they arguing?"  
She nodded.

"I'm sorry." Garet apologized.

She tried to smile. "It's...all right. Let's go."

We rode back on the cart and Froze another puddle, and another.

I spotted three more of the aquatic monsters. "Heads up! Monster alert!" I warned.

The three creatures exchanged glances. One made a whistling noise.

Another creature slithered across to them. It slid ahead and grasped Mia with its tentacles.

Garet severed a tentacle. The creature shrieked in pain and released her.

Gust spun forward angrily. "These virtuous Adepts will destroy you!" I rolled my eyes.

Flint hopped over. "Take this! Ha-_ha!_" I rolled my eyes again.

Fever coughed. "I deed bore recovery tibe." he said weakly after attacking.

Mist trudged out. "I agree." When the fog cleared, there was no sign of his monster.

I rushed forward and attacked my creature.

By the end of the battle, we didn't look so good. But the monsters looked _much _worse.

We continued on through the gloomy cave.

It became so narrow that only two of us could fit in the passage side-by-side, and even then we were cramped. So I went first.

A large ghastly green spider faced us. I gulped. "Um, guys? We've, um, got a problem. A...very big problem."  
Ivan tried to see over Garet's head, which was of course impossible. "What is it?"  
"A spider. A very large spider." I reported.

It creeped closer, clicking its venomous pincers. I dodged them and attempted to cut its pincers off. Struck by an idea, I leaped over the low-lying spider to free it to Garet. It tried to turn where it could attack both of us. But then I used my sword to smash it just as I'd smashed so many normal-sized spiders back in Vale.

We stepped cautiously over the spider's body.

Finally we reached the end of the long passage to enter a large room. Now we had to pass through a maze of rocks. I finally reached a sign, a log, and a dead end. I didn't bother to read the sign, but I used Force, hoping that it might clear the path to Lama Temple.

POW! The log toppled. And then a giant boulder fell.

I stood there, staring at it for a second, and then turned and dashed away after the others. I just got away.

The boulder rolled off the cliff and smashed through the floor. I could hear a creature snarling from the pit.

Ivan gulped. "That could have been us."  
"Isaac, what were you thinking?" demanded Mia. "That was something like Garet would do."  
Garet glared at her, then switched it to me. "She's right. I mean, about the 'what were you thinking?' part."

I shrugged. "I was hoping it would smash through the wall. It worked, sorta. After all, we have somewhere to go."

Ivan nodded. "We've been in this room before."

"So, come on!" I slid down the short cliff.

Garet slid after me, then Mia, and finally Ivan.

The track had bent to act as a ladder. Mia started down it.

"No!" I protested. "Didn't you hear that snarl? I bet that whatever's down there won't be too happy with us. Garet, tell your Djinn to go on standby. Mia, set all of yours. Same with you, Ivan. Flint, you need to go on set, too."  
"Why mine?" asked Garet.

I shrugged again. "The monsters we've been facing have been water creatures. Fire will hurt them the most."  
Garet nodded and muttered something. His other two Djinn popped out.

I climbed down first. Past the rough walls of the hole made by the rock, which had been shattered on the floor, were stone walls like in Sol Sanctum. They almost glowed a light lavender. Soon after the walls, the floor and ceiling changed, too, to beautiful tile.

We continued on in awe to more tile, rich purple. And then, glowing on a pedastal, was a magnificent statue. It looked like the monsters we'd faced, only larger and more amazing.

I reached forward to touch it. And it snarled.

I jumped back. _Flint! I need you!_

"Wahoo!" he squeaked joyfully.

"Tiamat!" shouted Garet.

A huge dragon floated from the sky and seared the statue. Then I realized that all the water monsters had been statues, too. I didn't have time to think about it, as I tried to dodge its attack.

Ouch. I failed.

"Unhand that noble and chivalrous Adept!" Gust commanded, flying at the statue.

Then the monster was immediately covered in what I recognized as sleet.

On a sudden urge, I shouted, "Ragnarok!"

A huge sword dug into the monster's flesh. It snarled.

"Fwrowshh Shhere!" the statue growled. Bubbles exploded from its mouth, concentrating onto the other three.

Garet cried out.

Suddenly, mist surrounded the creature. I could see Mist leaning against Mia's leg, asleep.

I smiled.

"Protected." declared Breeze grumpily, floating above me.

"Volcano," I heard Garet mutter.

A volcano burst through the ground below the statue.

I spared a glance at the others. Ivan's wounds had herb paste on them, and Garet was sweating. I didn't see Mia.

"Drrrrrrrrench." growled the statue. A waterfall of water fell on Ivan, Garet, and me.

Spritz floated over to me. He sighed. "I guess I ought to be glad I can at least do something. Here."  
I felt some of my wounds heal. "Thanks!"  
_GRANITE!_

_Wow, twice in one day!_ Granite remarked. _I'm coming._

He popped out and waved a stumpy arm. "You're done. Garet next."

I heard the statue shout in a wordless yell. One of the others had attacked.

"Atalanta!" I heard Ivan command.

"Neptune!" Mia ordered.

Granite returned. I joined my voice with the other summoning ones.

"Ramses!"

"Fwrowshh Shhhere..." The statue sounded weak.

I rubbed some pre-made herb paste on my wounds as Ivan crooned, "Sleep...sleep..."

He sighed. "It just won't work! I don't know if it's these monsters or my abilities."

Mia walked over to us. Fizz floated over next to her.

Fizz concentrated. Ivan's wounds healed.

"Than-"

But he was cut off by Garet's yell: "Mars!"

I turned just in time to see the statue collapse into dust.

"I wonder why the guardian statues turned to monsters." wondered Ivan.

Three heads turned with questioning expressions.

"While you were at the herb shop and you two were shopping for armor, I was reading minds." he explained. "Some of the townspeople suspected the statues."  
Garet shrugged. "Whatev-hey! Look!"  
I looked automatically. A treasure chest was now visible.

I rushed to it. Inside were three items; a bag of coins, a square gem, and a shiny medal.

I handed the bag to Mia, our best bargainer. I slipped the gem in my pack.

_Flint!_

He popped out. "Ah, you've found another Tolbi game...thingy! This is a "lucky" medal, used for the lucky fountain of Tolbi! They're really rare!"

"Okay, fine." I replied, handing the "lucky" medal to Ivan.

"We've gone all the way through the cave and we still haven't found the way to Lama Temple!" exclaimed Garet.

Mia nodded. "But I bet that gem does some sort of Psynergy that will allow us through."  
"That's it!" I realized. "It lifts stones!"

I concentrated, and we spun back to the entrance. I rummaged in my pack for the gem. Holding it out, I concentrated. The boulder flew into the air enthusiastically.

I led the way below the rock, through the door, and away from Altin.


	26. Ivan and Master Hama

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: Well, as you probably noticed, Lord Destroyer, I have had another review from another person. But I wouldn't quit just because I get bad reviews or none at all. I enjoy writing, and I'm _not_ writing this for my audience. I'm writing it for myself and my family and friends. If they don't appreciate it and want me to quit, tough. I won't.

And the same goes for my sequel.

"Wow," Ivan breathed, looking at our surroundings.

We'd finally reached Lama Temple.

I walked straight up to the lone building. The others followed, still in awe.

It was beautiful, I had to admit. Decorated in the same manner as Xian with a waterfall flowing down a small hill.

Inside the single room, a man told us, "Master Hama is meditating. Please be quiet."

Master Hama's violet head was turned away from us, but when she heard the man she turned.

Looking at her face, it seemed somehow familiar. I couldn't place how.

"So, Isaac, you and your Adept companions have finally come." she said calmly.

I tried not to look too surprised.

"Finally come?" asked Garet, sounding confused.

The woman nodded. I noticed that she kept staring at Ivan. "I had anticipated your arrival." she answered.

"You knew we were coming?" Mia repeated in amazement.

I was a little surprised, but not really. If other kinds of Adepts could heal and read minds, then it was perfectly possible that she had some sort of way to watch us. Visions, maybe, like Feizhi.

"I have been waiting a long while for you." Master Hama confirmed. "You come seeking the Elemental Stars."

"You know about the Elemental Stars, too?" Ivan asked, sounding amazed. "Who _are _you?"

Master Hama looked almost hurt. "I am a Jupiter Adept, just like Ivan."

We all looked at him.

"What are you talking about?" demanded Ivan. I realized he didn't know he was a "Jupiter Adept". Well, I didn't, exactly, but it was the only explanation. I knew the four elements; Mercury for water, Mars for flame, Venus for earth, and Jupiter for air.

"You are a Jupiter Adept, Ivan, although you may not yet know it." answered Master Hama firmly.

Ivan's eyes were wide. "Wh-why do you say that?"  
Master Hama had a knowing look in her violet eyes...violet eyes! That was it! She reminded me of Ivan! Those same large violet eyes, that same rounded face! Was that a trait of all Jupiter Adepts? What about those eyebrows? And those ears? She looked like she could almost be his sister.

But of course that was impossible...

"Do you not have the power to read minds?" she asked.

Ivan glanced at me, as if asking for permission. I understood; he was wondering if we should reveal our powers to the female Adept. I nodded.

"Yes," he said finally.

"This ability is unique to the Jupiter Adepts." Master Hama informed us.  
"You predicted our coming." stated Mia. "Is...is that Psynergy?"

Master Hama laughed, a high jingling sound. "Excellent question, Miss Mia. Yes, the ability to foresee events also belongs to the Jupiter Adepts."

"Um, could _Ivan _learn the power of prediction?" Garet ventured.

Master Hama shook his head. "He already _has_."

"I-I don't think I have..." Ivan protested weakly.

"You do." she replied. "You merely do not yet know that you have it."

"The power of Jupiter Adepts must be great if you can see the future." Garet remarked.

Master Hama's face lit up. "But Ivan can learn to use an even greater power!"

"Greater?" I wondered.

"What greater power?" asked Ivan.

"Reveal." she answered simply.

"Reveal?" repeated Ivan skeptically.

The female Jupiter Adept nodded. "Yes. I have waited long to pass the power of true sight on to you."

"Me?" Ivan's voice was squeaky.

"You will need Reveal if you are to achieve your goals." she explained. "Jupiter Adepts can learn Reveal on their own, over time, but that power alone will not help you find Saturos and company as they move on. It was Saturos and his companions who blocked Silk Road."

"_They_ blocked it?" I repeated in disbelief. "The cowards!"

"Felix will pay for this." muttered Garet.

"Felix bears a terrible fate, a burden I would not wish on any man." Master Hama insisted.

"A terrible fate? What?" asked Garet.

Master Hama looked upset, like she had not meant to say as much. "I am sorry, but I can say nothing more of this matter. Now, we must focus on the power of Reveal."

"Why do we need Reveal?" I wondered.

"You will need the power of Reveal to cross the evil Lamakan Desert." she replied.

"An evil desert?" repeated Garet skeptically. "Is that possible?"

Mia shrugged. "I think it is. If there are trees that turn humans into trees, and falling stones that transform animals into monsters and give humans powers..."  
"You believe that, Mia?" Garet scoffed. "Well, I just don't buy this 'evil desert' business."

"Why will we need Reveal to cross the desert?" asked Ivan sensibly.

"Lamakan Desert was hard enough to cross with the extreme heat. But evil has taken hold of the desert, and its heat has become unbearable." replied Master Hama. "Entering the desert now is nothing short of asking for death."

"Then how can Saturos and Menardi cross it?" wondered Mia, but I knew the answer.

"They're Mars Adepts, right? It won't bother them." At least Jenna would be relatively safe in the desert, even though her protection powers against the cold hadn't developed yet. Kraden had taught us all about how this worked.

"I still don't understand how Reveal will help us in such an evil place." complained Mia. The heat would be really hard on her, I thought. She's a Mercury Adept...at least I think so. I wished I'd paid more attention in Kraden's classes, but they were _so_ boring.

"Reveal will help you find oases to cool you against the heat." Master Hama explained.

Garet asked the question I knew we'd all been thinking: "Why would we need Reveal for that? Won't we be able to _see _them?"

"Do you know what a mirage is?" Master Hama questioned. From the blank looks on the others faces, I knew the answer would be no.

Except..."Yes! I remember! Kraden told us about them!"  
"He did?" Garet asked, bewildered.

"Yeah! They're when you see something that isn't there, usually in the heat."

"You are correct." confirmed Master Hama. "Without Reveal, you cannot find the oases."

"Sounds like Ivan should learn it, don't you think?" Garet nudged me.

"Of course." I replied absentmindedly.

Master Hama turned from us.

"What's wrong, Master Hama? You can pass Reveal on to me, can't you?" Ivan looked worried.

"I am...unsure that it will work." she replied without looking at us. "In preparation for this day, I tried to pass a power on to a young girl, although that power was not Reveal."

She sighed. "My student was not an Adept. But I thought anyone could hone a skill he or she already possessed..." Master Hama seemed to be speaking more to herself than us.

"However, I saw no change in the girl." she continued unhappily.

"No! There was change!" argued a familiar voice. I whirled around quickly to face Feizhi.

"Feizhi, why are you here?" demanded Master Hama. I moved away from the center of the half-circle we'd formed so Feizhi could get through.

"I sensed it!" she declared dramatically.

"Sensed it? What did you sense?" Master Hama sounded interested.

"Hsu is in great danger!" Feizhi exclaimed worriedly.

"Hsu left this place a long time ago." she replied.

"I know." Feizhi agreed. "But he did not return to Xian."

"The boulders in the mountains!" exclaimed Master Hama.

The girl nodded. "I sensed it." she repeated. "I came through the mine. I came to ask for help."

"I sensed nothing." admitted Master Hama. "But I was focused on Ivan's arrival. Why has the power come to you now?"

"Gems fell from the sky." Feizhi explained. "One hit me on my head."

"Gems..." murmured the Jupiter Adept. "Psynergy Stones..."

Master Hama straightened herself. Her round, worry-tinged face lightened. "Then this may work after all."

"What about Hsu?" persisted Feizhi.

"Let us hurry to his aid!" she declared.

The two violet-haired young women headed for the door.

"What about us?" I protested. "Reveal?"

"I had completely forgotten." Master Hama admitted. "It seems I succeeded in passing my power to Feizhi. You will be fine."  
She looked Ivan straight in the eye, fiercely. Seeing them together made me realize that Master Hama was not much taller than the boy.

"There..." she murmured.

Returning next to Feizhi, Master Hama warned, "Your Reveal may not be that strong yet. The rest is up to Ivan's abilities." She paused, as if unsure if to say any more. "Ivan, I am very glad to see you have grown to be such a strong young man."

She left.

"Ivan, do you and Master Hama know each other?" demanded Mia.

Ivan shook his head. "But she doesn't feel like a stranger..."

I kept my mouth shut. Just because they looked alike didn't mean that they truly were brother and sister. Master Hama was...how old? I couldn't even tell.

"Felix and the others must be far ahead of us by now." Garet said sadly.

I shook my head. "I doubt they have passed through the desert yet. Saturos, Menardi, and Jenna may be Mars Adepts, but I know Felix isn't, and neither is Alex. At least, I don't think so."

"The desert may have slowed them down, but we can't waste a second!" he declared.

"We can't just leave like this!" Mia protested. "What about Hsu?"

I nodded. "We must help Feizhi and Master Hama."

A man outside the door handed us a large container. "Master Hama told me to give you this. She also told me that you might like to explore over there." He indicated an area to the right.

I thanked him and we headed over there.

"There's some writing on the wall." Ivan muttered. "Here! 'He who has the power to see that which cannot be seen shall see the truth...' That must mean that rock! Umm...Reveal..."

"Wait!" I called. "Link arms!"

"Reveal!" he cried when we'd formed a circle around the rock. I could see that the rock was really...a treasure chest?  
"Great!" exclaimed Garet. "Water of Life!"

I heaved a sigh. "We're gonna need it..."

A/N: Please review...or Isaac will cast Ragnarok on you!


	27. Annoyed in the Heat

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: Short, I know. I'll try for longer next time.

Lord Destroyer, he was just reviewing chapter one, and I admit I wasn't very creative with that one. And hey, I was trying the Jenna approach! (laughs)

I stared in horror at the huge desert that lay before us. We'd eaten the generous dinner we had been given and we'd trekked over here. I knew the desert was big, but _this_ was unexpected.

We were in the shade right now, on the cool ground, but I could see the hot sand.

I took a deep breath. "We gotta go out onto there." I stepped cautiously out of the shade.

Hot! Hot! Hothothothothothot! HOT! HOT! HOTHOTHOT! My feet, even through the boots, felt like they were on fire. I knew I was sweating fiercely, but I couldn't stop running. SO HOT!

"I can't stop sweating!" complained Mia. "I wish I'd brought a change of clothes."

"I'm so thirsty!" Garet cried. "Water! The heat doesn't feel bad, but...water..."  
Ivan stopped running, and, his voice sounding raspy, pointed.  
"What? It's just a bunch of rocks!" I snapped.

"No...Reveal..." he panted, linking arms with Garet and me.

I could see...water! Water!

I jumped right into the pool and then drank deeply, not even caring that my own sweat was in the water, as was the others. I was so thirsty and hot...

I really don't know how long we stayed in that oasis. Much too long, for when we got out the sun was starting to set.

I sighed. "We better go on to the next oasis and set up camp."  
I took a step on the hot sand. I had forgotten the heat of the desert, even as the sun was setting.

HOT! I ran, not caring where, just running. Running...running...

I was panting by the time I reached the shade. Leaning against the wall, I gasped for air.

Garet settled next to me. "Little warm, huh?"

I could only pant in response.

Mia was next to reach the shade. "I HATE THIS DESERT!" she screamed angrily. "Mirages, heat coming up in waves..."

I didn't pay much attention to her ranting. Ivan arrived next.

"So...thirsty..." Ivan panted. "I hope...we'll find...another oasis soon..."

"...sweat all over me, hidden oases, and..._huge lizards_!" Mia finished urgently.

"Huge lizards?" Garet repeated in confusion.

"Like right there!" exclaimed Ivan.

The lizard tested the air with its tongue, eyeing us warily. It must have decided we looked too tough to fight, for it slithered off.

We crept along the edge of the shade until we spotted the next oasis. I led the way, dashing across the hot sand as fast as I could.

"Reveal..." Ivan commanded faintly.

But Reveal revealed that the circle held no more than a Psynergy Stone. We passed it around.

"I can't stand another minute of this!" wailed Ivan. "Where's an oasis?"

"Over there, I think." I answered, pointing. I was trying not to complain.

We all dived into the water happily when we reached it. Mia was complaining about the desert again to Garet, who was the only one who'd listen.

"Hardly any shade at all, burning hot sand, oases that _aren't_ oases..." I heard her gripe.

I laid on the ground next to the oasis, trying to sleep. The last strains of sunlight were still on the horizon.

_A bit hot, isn't it?_ Flint remarked cheerily.

_Like you know about it! _You _didn't have to walk through it! _I snapped.

_So? I can _feel _your discomfort...it doesn't bother me, though. _Flint replied.

Quartz joined our discussion. _When are we going to get another Djinni?_ she demanded. _I'm cut off from Djinni society! How am I supposed to know any news? It's all well and good to know your thoughts, but without anyone to tell-_

_What about Gust?_ Granite suggested.

Quartz sighed mentally. _She already knows! And all Fizz wants to do is sob all day. I need Steel, or even Bane! Flower, Meld! Even another kind of Djinni! _

_What about Corona? _Flint wondered.

_She's never interested!_ Quartz complained. _Now, Scorch would be great! She's a Mars! Ground even listens sometimes._

_Yeah, I'd love to see my brother again..._ Flint thought wistfully.

_Kite would be nice, too. _she reflected. _Spark. Tinder and Fugue sometimes listen, but they never tell. Ether, maybe. Haze._

_Haze? _Granite asked. _Sounds familiar._

_She's a Jupiter, _Quartz explained. _Tall. Sort of lazy. Spring. Sour. Somebody!_

_I'd love to see Bane again, too._ Flint decided. _Hope we get her soon._

_Sap! _Granite put in hopefully. _Geode!_

_Geode, Geode, _Quartz mused. _There was something about him a few years ago, I think. He is supposedly the most powerful attack Djinni of all time. Something about a tournament?_

_Yeah, _agreed Granite.

_Vine! _Flint suggested cheerfully.

_Hey, I've got an idea-WHY WON'T YOU GUYS JUST BE QUIET?!_ I demanded mentally.

_Why?_ wondered Flint.

I tried to ignore them as I rolled over.

Mia and Garet had stopped talking about the Lamakan and now Garet was describing Vale. Giving up, I stood up and looked around. Ivan was paging through some book he'd gleaned in Kolima, titled _Alchemy in Action_. Garet and Mia were dangling their feet in the oasis and chatting animatedly.

"Isaac!" Garet exclaimed. "Tell Mia about Jenna."

I stared at him in confusion. "Don't act like _you_ didn't know her."  
"But you knew her better!" he insisted. "You were her best friend! Please!"  
"Please?" Mia joined in.

I sighed. "Well, um..."

"Start out with what she looks like." Garet commanded.

"Well, um, she's got this long auburn hair that she always ties in a ponytail, but a few wisps always escape," I started. "And she's got these big amber eyes that sometimes look green or blue in the right light. She's got a sort of tanned skin that blushes easily. And she usually wears pink, breeches if she can get away with it, and a skirt and top if she can't."

Mia nodded. "Go on. What is she _like_?"  
"Um, she has a temper, and she's sort of quick to get to it. She's really adventurous..." I couldn't bring myself to go on. How could they make me tell Mia about my best friend? The friend that had been kidnapped?

"Go on." Garet prompted.

I sighed again. "Um, she has lots of great ideas, and she likes to take charge. She doesn't like to cry. She likes to fight with flames but she can heal, too. She likes poking fun at Garet...and me...and...and..." I gulped. "And Felix."  
"All right. Thanks. What's Felix like?" she asked, directing the question at Garet. I breathed deeply and scooted as far away from them as I could, to avoid more grilling.

"Hi," Ivan said absently. "This is really interesting-did you know that Sol Sanctum was built with mythril silver, jade, amethyst, sapphire, diamonds, and pure gold?"

"Sol Sanctum's in there?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah." he replied. "Do you know how the Elemental Lighthouses were built and how the Elemental Stars were created? And why?"  
"No," I answered, curious.

"'Mercury was the first clan to suggest it.'" Ivan read. "'The Adepts of the Mercury clan had produced the Water of Hermes, a mystical substance able to cure any illness and even prolong life. They were happy to share with non-Adepts, but they refused to share their methods with alchemists. The Mercurians were pressed by the alchemists, but they still would not admit the secret of their alchemy. Finally, a young Mercury Adept gave in and told the alchemists the secret of the Water of Hermes. The leader of the alchemists discovered this and all the other secrets of alchemy known by the Mercurians. The Mercury Adept begged the leader, named Knute Ektun, to keep the secret.'"

"'But that was not what the Adepts had to fear. Ektun was a great but evil alchemist, and he planned to use the power of each clan to become the ruler of Weyard.'" Ivan continued. "'But the Mercury Adepts warned the other clans of Ektun, and the Elemental Stars were created. Each Star contains the literal spirit of an Adept of each clan.' How horrible. 'Each Star is the essence of the clan that created it. The Mercurians of Imil made theirs of ice, pouring the heart of water into it. The Jupiter clan, based in Contigo, made theirs of star dust, the light material they brought with them after the descent of the Anemos from the sky. Into their Star they placed the feeling of floating free on the wind. The Mars Adepts of Prox forged theirs of molten lava itself, placing the feeling of flame and heat into the Star. And the Venus Adepts from Lalivero made theirs of many metals from deep in the earth. They put inside the sturdiness and strength of the earth.'"

Ivan took a short breath and swallowed. "'Into the Elemental Stars they poured the essence of each portion of Alchemy. And then they used Psynergy to trap one Adept into each Star, after they had transferred most of the power of Alchemy into the unfortunate Adept.'"

"'And then they built the Elemental Lighthouses, the Laliverans idea. They placed inside puzzles to confuse anybody who might hope to light the lighthouse. For they did leave a way to return alchemy to Weyard, in the case that they may have been mistaken.'"

"Stupid." I muttered, not loud enough for Ivan to hear. "If they hadn't had that bright idea Jenna, Garet, Kraden, and I would be safe home in Vale." I didn't really want to lose Ivan and Mia, though...

"'And then all four clans found a place to hide the Stars-inside a volcano they named "Mount Aleph."'" Ivan read.

"'Deep inside the volcano they built a great palace of jade and mythril in honor of Luna and Sol. They called it "Sol Sanctum." And they placed more puzzles inside.'" he continued hoarsely.

"'And they created a guardian to guard the Stars-and what better guardian than Ektun himself? They mocked him, calling him "Wise One." Ektun was angry when they imprisoned him in a stone, yet he was happy also. For since he stayed near the powers of alchemy he so wished for, he was able to use them. He gained great power, and with that power came wisdom and he vowed to never let any man become like he had been.'"

Ivan coughed and I offered him water from the pool. He drank it gratefully. "'And the Adepts stayed in the settlement they had built, "Vale." Or at least, some of them did. But the Mercury Adepts craved the sea and the cold and the Jupiter Adepts felt too cramped in the valley. So only the Mars and Venus Adepts remained.'"

I thought about that as I fell asleep that night. Why had _I _never heard this story? I had lived in Vale all my life, and yet I had never heard this, even from Kraden. Of course, Kraden might have been planning on it...before...

I stifled my thoughts of Jenna and quickly fell asleep.

A/N: Do I _really_ have to beg for reviews _every_ chapter? Why don't you just review? I've seen my hits and I know that only a very small amount of people who read this review. So be different and review. Please.


	28. Fighting in the Desert

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: Lord Destroyer, I made that completely up. About Ektun's punishment, well, they had to have _some_ sort of guardian, right? And the whole imprisonment thing I sort of borrowed from Diadem: Worlds of Magic.

I opened my eyes to a dark sky with a few patches of light. Mia and Garet had apparently finally stopped talking for the other three were still fast asleep next to the pool.

"Mia, wake up!" I called. "Ivan!"

Ivan opened his eyes quickly. "What is it? Are we being attacked?"  
"No, but it would be best to leave _before_ the sand gets too hot." I explained.

Mia was standing over Garet already. "Wake up!" she shouted.

Ivan rushed over and covered her mouth. "Are you crazy?" he demanded. "Do you want all the monsters in the desert to hear?"

Garet sat up. "What?"  
"I was just trying to get him up!" Mia protested.

"Who?" Garet wondered sleepily.

"You, who else?" Mia told him. "Now get up."

"Breakfast before we leave." I announced, holding up the leftovers from yesterday's supper.

"Breakfast!" Garet exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Great! I'm hungry!"  
"What's new?" I muttered. "We've got to save some for lunch, though. Have a dumpling."

Mia munched on some rice thoughtfully. "It's not bad cold." she remarked.

Garet made a face. "I _hate_ cold rice! Flare!"

A flare of fire leaped up over the food, warming it.

"You could have set all of us on fire!" Mia scolded. "Give us a warning first!"

"I'm careful!" Garet argued. "I wouldn't have set anybody on fire! Really!"  
Mia made a snorting noise. "Then what do you call _this_?" she demanded, reaching over and holding up my hair.

"What's wrong with my hair?" I asked.

"It's charred." she explained. I touched my hair. My hand came away with burned hair on it.

"You burned my hair!" I accused Garet.

"It's only a little bit!" he protested.

I sighed. "Let's leave."

I took one step away from the cool oasis. The sand was still hot. I forced my feet to take another step, and another. My feet arguing with me every step of the way, I managed to make it to the next oasis.

"Reveal." Ivan murmured, revealing...a treasure chest. I collected the axe from the hidden chest.

My feet still protesting, I forced myself to walk back to the oasis.

Or at least to the cool shade.

A monstrous creature, resembling a boar, was waiting for us. Ivan hit it weakly, trying to fend it off.

_Flint._ I mentally summoned.

Mia weakly swiped at the goblin. It slunk off.

Back to the wonderful, cool oasis. I sighed in relief as I sank into the water.

Mia was muttering something about the desert under her breath. "Giant pigs that wear clothes and stand up, huge scorpions, unbearable heat..."

She stopped abruptly and pointed to herself. Instantly her wounds healed.

She healed each of us in turn, and then, with considerable reluctance, we headed on.

We had to backtrack over our previous steps to find where we'd gone wrong. Finding it, we continued on.

We found a rest in some cool shade.

"Ahh..." I murmured, leaning against the cool wall providing the shadow.

"Hot sand that burns your feet _through your boots_..." Mia started.

"Just shut up, Mia." Garet snapped. "None of us are in the mood for this."  
Mia shot a glare at him. Under normal circumstances, I would have tried to stop their fight, but I didn't feel like playing peacemaker right now.

"We're all in a bad mood," Ivan started.

"And we don't need a midget to help us out." snapped Garet.

"Guys," I tried, but Mia cut me off.

"I am sick of all this arguing! I hate this desert!" she screamed.

"Gee, do you think?" mocked Garet. "I would never have guessed."  
"You..." Mia seemed to be searching for an appropriate word to call Garet. Then she shrieked. "Monster!"

"I am not a monster!" he protested indignantly.

"No, I mean monster! Behind you!" Mia pointed frantically.

Garet rolled his eyes. "Like I'd fall for that. I've got a little brother, you know. I'm not gonna fall for the oldest trick in the book."

"No, really, Garet, there's a huge bee behind you." Mia insisted.

"There is one, really!" I agreed helpfully.

Garet glared at me. "Why are you on her side?"  
"No, there really is one, Garet!" Ivan exclaimed. "And it's about to sting you!"

"Ouch!" he yelled suddenly.

"Told you so." Mia said in a know-it-all tone.

"Everybody!" I shouted in my most authorative voice. Everyone froze and looked at me.

"First, we are going to get rid of that bee. And then, we are going to _leave_ the shade, stop arguing, and go through the desert. Is that clear?"

Three heads nodded meekly. Mia quietly swatted the bee with her staff.

"All right."  
We continued on.

"An oasis! Finally! I'm _dying_ of thirst!" Garet exclaimed melodramatically. He started forward.

Ivan caught his arm. "Wait. We don't know what's in there. Reveal."

The true vision swam before my eyes in the heat-a giant scorpion was clicking its pincers in a quicksand pit.

"Th-thanks, Ivan." Garet stuttered. We all cautiously edged around it.

Finally, we _did_ reach an oasis. I sank into the water gratefully after removing my boots.

I closed my eyes and dived deeper into the pool. The cool water was such a relief on my blistered skin.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my foot. I kicked, trying to surface. Strong arms pulled me out.

I gasped for air. "Thank you, Garet." I peeled the crab off of my injured foot.

"No problem." Garet grinned. "Anyone else need saving?"

We stayed at the oasis at least an hour, sometimes in the water, sometimes out, but never straying far from the cool pond. But eventually we had to leave.

"To the next oasis, I think." I pulled my boots on. "Let's go."

We walked along the cool sand for about an hour before being attacked. Another boar-like creature and two large bees. One bee buzzed angrily, flying over Mia's head. She gave a shriek and collapsed.

Garet immediately rushed over to her. "She's not dead." he reported. "It did some sort of stun-hey! Ouch!"

The bee had stung him.

"Venus," I choked out.

Gust spun out.

"Fever!" cried Garet angrily, getting to his feet again.

The other bee buzzed over to me. I felt my joints stiffen. I realized I was being stunned and I tried to speak. But my mouth was frozen, like the rest of my body. I couldn't even blink.

Mia struggled to her feet. She muttered something to Garet. He nodded and said something in reply. Ivan nodded.

Garet lumbered over and picked up my motionless body. He started running. The boar and bees didn't bother to pursue us.

I felt a ghastly liquid being poured down my throat. I gagged.

Suddenly, my eyes felt watery, and I blinked. I could move again!

"Why...did...Mia...recover...without that stuff?" I asked, slowly regaining control of my mouth. "And what _was_ that stuff?"

"We don't know, and it was an elixir." answered Ivan.

"I think maybe that bee was younger." Mia decided. "So its sting wasn't too bad."  
I glanced up at the lowering sun and sighed. "Let's try to make it to the next oasis before nightfall."

We dashed across the hot sand to a circle of stones.

But it turned out to hide only a treasure chest with a jar of thick green liquid. Mia slipped it in her pack along with the other mysterious potion.

Just as the last sliver of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, we reached the oasis. Drinking the water thirstily, I let my mind wander.

I wondered how Mother was getting along. I vowed that, if that bridge from Kalay to Vault was ever repaired, I would visit both Vale and Vault again. Garet was very worried about his family, too, although I knew he'd never admit as much. Plus Ivan, and Mia, especially, wanted to see our families and our hometown.

_And you could collect Sap from Vault!_ Flint exclaimed happily.

_Sap?_ I repeated in confusion.

_That Venus Djinni?_ he persisted. _In Vault?_

_Oh, that Sap._ I had forgotten that Djinni that we'd seen early in our travels. That was only a couple of weeks ago, but it seemed like a century ago.

Back then, I had been sure that we'd stop them easily. We-no, I shouldn't deny myself-_I _have already failed once. I know it won't be easy. And I know that, whatever we do, we _have_ to get Jenna away from Saturos and Menardi. Even away from her brother.

Or perhaps Felix needed rescuing, too. Perhaps he, too, was being kept there against his will. But with all the evidence so far, I doubted it.

I wondered, not for the first time, what that man from Imil, Alex, had to do with any of this. He clearly wanted the lighthouses lit...but why? And how had he learned of such things?

I stopped sipping the water and tried to rest. But it was hard. Ivan was still reading his book, _Alchemy in Action_. That wasn't the problem.

The dilemma was Garet and Mia. They were still talking.

"I've known Alex since I was very young." Mia confided. They were talking about Alex!

"I am...I _was_ sure he would never do anything so awful. He was, in a sense, my best friend. I still don't see how he could betray me like that." she continued.

I rolled over uncomfortably. As curious as I was about Alex, Mia wasn't choosing to confide this information in me. I tried to drown them out by putting my arms over my ears.

That was better.

Yawning, I promptly fell asleep. I needed my rest, for who knew how long we'd wander in this forsaken desert?


	29. Leaving the Lamakan

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

A/N: Lord Destroyer, I'm not going to write fluff. I'm more one for subtle hints.

And, to everybody! I'm sorry about how long this chapter took. This time of year is _very_ busy. Also, don't expect any new chapters for a week or two because I will be revamping the first ten or so chapters. They need it.

I awoke bright and early the next morning, feeling cheerful for some reason.

"Ivan! Mia! Garet!" I shouted cheerily, nudging each one in turn to try to wake them.

"What?" wondered Ivan sleepily.

"It's time to get up!" I sang, stretching the word "up" to two syllables.

"Why are you so cheerful?" demanded Mia grumpily, stretching her arms.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but I like it! Breakfast time!"  
"What breakfast?" grunted Garet. "A few dumplings?"

"Yeah, but I'm _sure_ we'll be leaving the Lamakan today! Let's go!"

Ivan groaned. "This is going to be a long day."

"Let's go...that way." I chose randomly, pointing to the northeast. I trotted happily in that direction, still wincing at the hot sand.

We reached a circle of stones.

Ivan sighed. "It's just that scorpion we passed earlier."

"Look! There's another!" I shouted, speeding up to a run.

I dived into the pool happily. "This feels great!"  
Garet settled in uneasily. "You're _really_ weird today, Isaac."

"I'm just being optimistic!" I protested.

Mia slid down next to Garet. "He's right-you're acting really strange, Isaac. Especially since we're in a desert with a sun so hot-"  
"Not another word." Garet ordered hastily.

I dived back under, not listening to their quarreling. I smiled as I thought of last night's dream. That was what had cheered me so.

We headed northwest after about an hour of relaxing in the oasis. We passed another scorpion (Mia shuddered) to reach a hidden chest. Garet pulled out a small bottle. "What's this?" he wondered.

I shrugged.

"Um, Garet? Isaac? Ivan?" Mia called quietly. "We've got a problem."

I spun to face a very ugly looking...thing. It looked like an overlarge worm holding a spear.

"Ragnarok." I murmured. A giant sword pierced the worm, pinning it to the ground. The sword disappeared but the worm didn't move.

We continued on. My feet ached as I forced them to walk to the next circle.

Ivan concentrated, unable to even speak. The vision of a pool floated in front of my eyes. I gratefully splashed into the oasis.

Garet made a noise of satisfaction. "This feels so good..."

"I feel like I'm forgetting something." I admitted.

"What? I mean, we're hopefully almost out of the desert, we learned Reveal..." Mia helped.

"Reveal...Master Hama...Feizhi...Hsu!" I exclaimed. "I can't believe we didn't help Hsu!"  
"I'm sure Master Hama can handle it." Ivan assured me, although he didn't sound so sure himself. "She's a much more experienced Adept..."

I sighed. My perfect mood had burst like the bubbles that we made in the oasis as we splashed around. "I guess we'd better head on."

Garet nodded slowly. "You're right."

When we reached the next circle of stones, Ivan revealed...a Djinni?

"Oh, I suppose you're heroes, right?" it asked.

"I guess you could call us that," I agreed. "Why?"  
"Well, just so you know, it's hopeless." it continued.

"Hopeless?" repeated Garet.

"Oh, don't listen to Smog." Flint said dismissively, popping into view with the rest. "He's always gloomy."  
"I'm just being sensible. I see you joined them in their hopeless quest, Flint." Smog noted gloomily.

"These are brave and noble and chivalrous Adepts!" shrilled Gust.

"Hey, Smog. Aren't they pathetic?" Breeze greeted him.

Smog sighed. "So, what are they trying for? Saving the world? Or saving some girl? A princess, maybe?"  
"Both." Breeze answered. "Trying to 'defend the world from Alchemy' or something like that and trying to save some idiot girl named Jenna. That Venus Adept is pitiful, especially."  
"Jenna's not an 'idiot girl!'" I exclaimed indignantly. "And I'm not pitiful! And I _do_ have a name, you know."

"Breeze, are you _sure_ that that is _really_ Smog and not a mirage?" asked Zephyr suspiciously.

"It's him, all right." Granite confirmed.

"He wasn't asking you." Breeze shot a glare at Granite.

Quartz, meanwhile, had dashed up to Smog.

"I hear that you secretly _like_ Gust? What do you have to say about it?" she asked eagerly.

"I do not! And even if I did, she wouldn't. Either that, or she'd get killed by a murderous Adept." answered Smog.

Quartz gave a knowing sort of laugh. "Right." she replied, dragging the word out several syllables. "Have you heard any news?"  
Smog sighed. "Only about the end of the world."  
"Like _that_ matters." Quartz laughed. "By the way, have you-"  
"No, I haven't." Smog interrupted. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd shut up so I can be gloomy. How are you planning to save the world, anyway?" he asked the nearest human, which happened to be Ivan.

"By stopping Saturos and Menardi from lighting the Elemental Lighthouses." he answered, sounding puzzled.

"And have they lit any yet?" Smog persisted.

"Well, yes." Ivan admitted. "Mercury."

"It's hopeless." he declared. "Got one lighthouse, you got them all."  
Ivan was looking sort of upset, so I put in, "Don't listen to him."

"I'm hungry," complained Garet.

"I'm sleepy," complained Mist.

I heaved a sigh. "Smog, why don't you and the rest of the Djinn go on set, all right?"

"Fine, I'll join your hopeless quest. I Veil a foe's vision in smoke, not like that will ever help you. Farewell, although I know you won't." With those words, the gloomy Djinni disappeared with a pop.

All of the other Djinn followed him and I breathed a sigh. I hadn't wanted trouble with the Djinn.

I spread a blanket on the ground and placed on it the meager amount of bread remaining.

After we ate our small meal in silence, Garet asked, "So...which way?"

"That way." I pointed to the west. "The only place we haven't tried."

All of a sudden, I heard a hissing noise.

"Wh-what is _that_?" stammered Mia.

The creature looked like a huge, red lizard. But flames licked its mouth.

"A salamander." Ivan whispered.

Ice pelted down from the sky on the lizard. It hissed angrily and breathed flames at Mia.

She gave a small shriek and hopped to the side. She just missed being scorched.

Suddenly the salamander seemed to be spinning itself around. And then the wind of a whirlwind became visible. I grinned.

The ground began shaking beneath the salamander. I could feel the emptiness where the Psynergy had been.

The salamander hissed one last time and slithered off.

We continued on to find cool shade. My feet practically sighed in relief.

But they would have groaned if they could as I dashed across a hot sand waterfall.

After forcing my feet to cross more hot sand, we reached a dead end.

"Don't tell me we came here for nothing." Mia sounded very upset.

"Reveal," Ivan murmured.

I could see the entrance to a cave. Looking considerably happier, Mia led the way, Garet following.

We crossed through the brightly lit cave; looking at the braziers, I wondered who lit them.

Outside, I stepped into the hot sand waterfall. I slid down helplessly.

Garet, Mia, and Ivan slid down after me.

"Oh, please, please, _please_ be an oasis." Mia begged a circle of stones we encountered.

It was. With a joyful yell, I dived deep into the water. I could feel the others diving or sinking in.

I surfaced, feeling the hot sun on my head. "This feels good..." I murmured.

"Ohhhh...yes..." Mia dived back underwater.

_It does feel nice, doesn't it?_ Flint commented.

_Hey, you can feel this but not the heat? That's not fair! _I thought back.

Flint's tone sounded almost apologetic._ I can choose what I feel._

I mentally sighed. _So, how are Quartz and Granite? _I asked.

_Quartz is telling her entire archive of gossip to him, _Flint replied.

Sure enough, if I concentrated, I could hear Quartz's eager whispering.

_Echo and Steel are rumored to be together, _Quartz muttered excitedly.

_Uh-huh._ Granite sounded miles away.

I stopped concentrating. I felt like I did when I heard part of Garet and Mia's conversation about Alex. Except not _quite_ as intrusive, since this discussion was taking place in my head.

Garet was looking at me strangely. "Djinn?" he guessed.

I nodded.

Garet rolled his eyes. "Flint?" he guessed with a knowing look.

"Yes." I answered, rolling my eyes.

Mia surfaced, gulping in air. "What's going on?" she asked. "Where's Ivan?"  
I looked around. Sure enough, the Jupiter Adept was nowhere to be found. "Ivan!" I called.

Garet joined in. "Ivan!"

"I'm over here!" a faint, familiar voice cried.

"Where?" shouted Garet.

"Up here!" was the answer.

I glanced up. Ivan was on a rocky cliff, walking away from us. "Isaac, Garet, Mia, come up here! I think I've figured out how to leave the desert, but I am not sure. And, with the experience in Mogall Forest, I think we should expect a battle in this cave."

I nodded and regretfully climbed out of the oasis. "We're coming!" I called back. "Wait...how did you get up there?"  
"I'll come down." he promised.

A minute later, the young Adept came over to the oasis where we'd resettled ourselves.

"This way." Ivan directed, starting off.

We followed him up a ladder, across two scorching hot sand waterfalls, and over to another.

"Reveal," Ivan commanded confidently.

Sure enough, just as Ivan had predicted, a huge creature challenged us.

"What-what _is_ that thing?" stammered Mia.

I shrugged. It stood about Garet's height, not counting the scorpion tail that arched high above its head. It had bat-like wings, four legs, and paws with lethal claws. Strangely enough, its head resembled an old man.

"A manticore," murmured Ivan in awe.

Garet gave him a strange look. "How did you know that?"  
"It was in my book, _Alchemy in Action_." Ivan replied, keeping his eyes trained on the ferocious beast. The monster seemed to be waiting for us to start the battle.

I took in a deep breath.

_Granite?_ I mentally shouted.

_I'll be right there,_ was the reply.

A second later he trudged out. "There. Done." he declared after pacing around the four of us. He climbed up onto my shoulder.

Next, Smog gloomily fluttered out. "Oh, a manticore. It's hopeless." But the Jupiter Djinni still flew towards the manticore, smoke trailing behind him.

Then Fever blew himself out, sneezing violently.

The manticore shot an evil glare at the four of us. "You...will...pay..." it rasped. "Dehhhhhhloooood."

Mia clutched her head. "No...no...Garet! Don't...die..." she cried, as if in a nightmare.

Garet rushed to her side. "I'm all right, don't worry. What's wrong, Mia?"  
"No! Don't...kill...Garet..." she shouted in a faint voice. "You'll die if you kill Garet!"  
Garet looked very worried. "What do we do when our healer is feverish?" he wondered.

"Garet! Isaac! No..." Mia murmured weakly.

Despite Mia's hallucinations, Mist sleepily stepped over to the beast to attack.

"Ivan...no! He's trying to poison you!" she shouted angrily.

"Gooood idea..." growled the manticore appreciatively. "Poisooooon."

It turned sharply, slamming its scorpion tail into Garet. Garet barely seemed to notice. But Mia did.

"No! Garet..." She grasped her pack and pulled out her weapon. She dashed forward, plunging her staff wildly into the air.

"Mia, it's all right." Garet soothed.

Ivan tossed a small bottle towards the two. "Try the elixir!" he shouted as he danced forward with his own staff.

Garet nodded gratefully. "Thanks." He popped open the bottle and poured it into Mia's mouth.

All of a sudden, the manticore froze on the spot.

"What happened?" I wondered in confusion as I mentally summoned Flint.

Flint flew forward, regardless of Mia's plight and the manticore's sudden freezing. "Wahoo!" he squeaked.

"Garet...Garet! What...what happened?" wondered Mia sleepily.

"You're not feverish any more!" exclaimed Garet.

"Well...yes...Garet! Is that...poison on that wound?" Mia leaned forward to examine Garet's arm. "It is! Here..."  
Mia twisted Nyunpa's ring.

"Hark! You shall not harm these chivalrous Adepts! They are as noble as the knights of old, and they saved me from my eternal imprisonment!" Gust shouted.

I rolled my eyes. "Ivan, _what_ have you been reading?"  
He sighed. "She kept pestering me in Kolima to buy a book about noble knights, and so I did, just to make her be quiet. But it didn't exactly work."

"I noticed." I agreed dryly.

"Mars!" Garet cried.

The frozen manticore seemed to glare at all of us.

"Ramses!" I shouted in turn.

"You know, you don't _have _to shout it out." remarked Ivan.

I nodded. "But it tends to help."

"True." Ivan reflected. "But if you silently-or at least quietly-say or think the effect or name of the Psynergy or summon, then you have the element of surprise."  
The manticore began to flex its wings.

"Frost..." I heard Garet mutter.

The manticore shuddered as its body grew cold.

Ivan closed his eyes and concentrated. Deadly arrows began raining down onto the manticore.

"You will not beat me." the manticore muttered confidently.

"Let's see about that." I replied, casting Psynergy mentally.

A huge sword fell from the sky straight onto the beast. It cried in pain. In revenge, it twisted and hit Mia with its giant scorpion tail.

"Ah...ah...ahchoo!" sneezed Fever, his violent sneeze propelling him towards the manticore. Angrily, the manticore slammed into Mia with one of its huge paws.

"There's nothing I can do!" wailed Garet in despair. "I don't have any herbs!"  
I rushed over. I felt my Psynergy lessen as Mia's wounds healed.

Garet stared at me in amazement. "I didn't know you could heal with Psynergy!"  
I shrugged. "I didn't, either."

"You will pay for this, boy." muttered the manticore. "For ruining my plans...curse you! I curse you!"

Apparently that was the trigger to some sort of monstrous Psynergy, but it didn't work. The manticore's old-man face scowled. "Why won't it work?" it demanded.

I took my opportunity as the manticore was discracted. I plunged my giant blade into the manticore's heart. The creature shrieked.

We continued into the cave.


	30. Djinn Troubles

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

A/N: Well, revamping the first ten chapters didn't take that long! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter-I know the characters did...

Second, hurray! This is the _30th_ chapter! Originally I only planned for this novelization to be thirty-six chapters, but somehow it grew, and grew, and grew...

Lord Destroyer, I'm glad you like my hints. Just wait til you see Ember! Remember that hint waaaaay back in the chapter when we meet Gust for the first time, courtesy of Flint?

I took in a deep gulp of air as I stepped out of the cave. I moved over to make room for Ivan, the next one to pass through the exit.

"This is nice," he commented, glancing around. "And it seems...familiar."  
I shrugged. "Maybe you traveled here with...what was his name again? Master Hammo?"  
"Hammet." corrected Ivan. "Maybe. But I don't think so."

Garet came out next, looking around appreciatively. "Green again, finally." he noted.

Mia was the last. She gave one look around and sighed happily. "Ahh..." she murmured. "Real land, finally!"  
Ivan was looking towards the two bridges crossing the river. "Which do you think we should take?" he asked me.

Before I had time to answer, Garet put in, "The northern one."

"But the last time we followed Garet, we ended up at a dead end." I added, referring to Sol Sanctum.

Mia gave me a strange look. "When was that?"  
"Back in Sol Sanctum." answered Ivan before I could do more than open my mouth.

"Hey! One time when we followed _you_ we ended up lost for a day!" protested Garet.

"At least we got a Djinni out of the deal!" I shot back.

Garet snorted. "That's hardly a reward."

Flint popped out angrily. "Are you insulting us?"

Granite and Quartz appeared after him. "Yeah, are you insulting us?" Granite demanded.

Quartz eyed Garet angrily. "Remember, Gust told me your most secret secret. Would you like me to tell it in front of everybody?"  
Garet paled. "Uh, no! But..."  
Next Ivan's Djinn put themselves on standby.

"You are not such a noble Adept!" shrilled Gust angrily.

"Trust a friend of a Venus Adept to insult all of Djinnkind." sniffed Breeze.

Zephyr glanced at Garet. "I never trusted him..."  
Smog sighed. "I should have known such misfortune would occur on me."  
Even Garet's Djinn turned against him, popping up next.

"I can't believe you." muttered Forge.

"I...achoo!...am very...achoo!...annoyed." sneezed Fever.

"And _I_ was the Djinni that you got." snapped Corona.

Garet was backing away quickly. "I didn't mean..."  
But, interrupting him, the Mercury Djinn suddenly put themselves on standby.

Tears ran down Fizz's cheeks. "I told Mia she shouldn't trust you!" she wailed. "Insulting all of Djinnkind..."

"Not worth it." muttered Sleet, casting dark glares at Garet.

Mist yawned. "I can't believe..." here he yawned again, "that you would do something like that."

"And you call yourself a warrior!" scoffed Spritz.

"Silence!" I boomed as loudly as I could. The Djinn got very quiet, even Flint.

"It was an innocent comment, and _please_ don't blame Garet for it." I said loudly. "Now, please, all of you, go on set _immediately_."  
I heard the noise of fourteen pops. Satisfied, I turned to Garet. "Fine, we'll go your way. North it is."

Garet nodded. "Um...sorry."

I heaved a sigh. "Just...never insult the Djinn again, okay? Even if it's true. Flint, I'm _not saying it is_, you got that?"

We began to follow the path northward.

We walked mostly in silence, though I could still hear Ivan occasionally spurt a fact about Alchemy, or hear Garet grumble about the Djinn. But mostly the only noises were the birds singing cheerily.

Across the bridge, we discovered that, unfortunately, it was, in fact, the wrong way. Sighing, I began to lead the way back...when a Venus Djinni popped out from one of the bushes!

"Gotcha!" it shrieked in delight, collapsing in hysterics.

Garet sent me a strange look. I replied with a shrug.

Suddenly serious, the Djinni straightened up. "Now...we fight!"

_Flint!_

Flint stepped out, dashed over to the Djinni...and exclaimed, "Vine!"  
"Flint!" Vine declared happily. He extended a long ear, apparently some Djinn custom. Flint responded by touching his ear to Vine's, and then for some strange reason began to float in the air.

Vine burst out laughing again. "Like it? Mold invented it. It's really earthy, isn't it?"

"Yeah!" agreed Flint. "Hey, how is Mold doing?"  
"Oh, all right. He wanted to go somewhere cooler. I think he's somewhere up in Prox."  
"Prox, you say?" Flint pondered thoughtfully. "Oh, and by the way-could you let me down?"

"Oh, sure." Vine extended his other ear. "Just grab it."  
Flint immediately fell to the ground. "Thanks."

"Vine!" exclaimed Granite joyfully. He reached out to touch ears, but then drew back. "Oh, I see that you've got one of Mold's float-joys."  
"Yeah." admitted Vine. "How'd you know?"

Granite grinned. "I have one myself."  
"Vine!" Quartz shouted joyfully. "Tell me-have you heard anything?"  
"Well, no." Vine looked confused.

"Hi, Vine." came a moody voice. Forge slumped over to the four Djinn.

"Oh, hi!" Vine replied.

"Ah...ah...ahchoo! Vide!" sneezed Fever.

"Oh...um, Fever, isn't it?" Vine guessed.

Fever nodded. "Yup."

"Hey, who's the new Djinn?" Corona wondered.

"Vine," answered Gust. "Vine, are you planning to join this brave band of chivalrous knights? For lo! they saved me from my peril, and for that I am forever indebted to them."  
Ivan hid his face in his hands.

"V-vine?" wondered Fizz. "Why...why can't it be a _Mercury_ Djinni?"  
"Hello, Vine. I'm surprised you survived this long." Smog said gloomily.

Vine looked a little taken aback. "How many _are_ there with these Adepts?"  
"There are fourteen brave Djinn joining these wonderful knights on their perilous yet noble quest." answered Gust proudly. "Fifteen if Vine will graciously join our party."  
Ivan groaned.

"Who is that? An enemy?" asked Zephyr suspiciously.

"Nah, it's Vine!" exclaimed Flint.

"Oh, no, not another _Venus_ Djinni," complained Breeze.

"Oh, a Djinni? Vine, you say? Well, Vine, could you just join us already?" wondered Mist. "Because I'm missing my afternoon nap."

"Are you an attack Djinni?" asked Spritz curiously.

"We better not have to fight him, that's all I have to say." Sleet said crabbily.

"Will I have a chance to play jokes?" Vine wanted to know.

Gust looked a little confused, then she brightened. "Yes, the brave and noble knights will fight many evil and dangerous creatures. If Vine shall join us, he may jest as much as he likes."  
Ivan made a choking noise.

"All right then, I'll join you." Vine decided. "Let's go!"

Ivan looked quite relieved when all the Djinn had gone.

"Fifteen, wow." Mia murmured. "I wonder how many there are?"  
_Seventy-two, to be exact. _came Flint's answer.

"Seventy-two." I answered.

Garet gave me a strange look. "How-oh. Right."

"Well, um, let's go on, then." Mia decided briskly. "Not a moment to waste."

As we continued on, her words repeated in my head, "Not a moment to waste..."


	31. Lady Layana

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: I meant this chapter to be part of the last, but chapter thirty got away with me, and it's a good thing, too. This one is rather somber, while the last was cheerful.

_"I hope we get there soon." complained Garet. "Wherever 'there' is. I don't want to have to spend the night out here."_

_Ivan looked up from his book. "Did you know that-hey!"_

_"What?" asked Mia in a bored tone._

_"This...this forest!" Ivan stuttered._

_"What about it?" Mia asked, sounding more annoyed._

_"Master Hammet!" Ivan exclaimed._

_"What about him?" Mia demanded. _

_"Kalay! We're almost to Kalay!" Ivan absentmindedly stashed _Alchemy in Action_ into his pack. _

_"Mia, how did you know about Master Hammet?" I asked in confusion._

_"Remember? Mercury Lighthouse?" she reminded me._

_I shook my head. "No, I don't...oh." I remembered the time. _

_"Hurry up!" pressed Ivan, running even faster._

_I quickened my pace. "We're coming!" I called to his distant figure on the barely lit horizon._

_"I'm almost there!" his faint voice shouted back. "Hurry up!"_

_I full out started running. _Anything_ to get to the next inn._

I rolled over as I recalled the events of the previous night. We'd reached the inn just in time for a late supper, and then a quick retirement to our beds.

I yawned and glanced around the room Garet, Ivan, and I had shared. Ivan's cot was neatly made, but Garet still slept in his bed. He was snoring loudly.

Almost absentmindedly, I flicked a hand in the direction of Garet. The floor beneath him began shaking violently.

"Wha-what? What happened?" he wondered woozily.

"It's time to get up!" I called, sitting up. "That is, if you want breakfast!"  
_That_ got Garet up. He sat bolt upright and hopped out of bed. "I'm starving!"  
I rolled my eyes and dragged myself out of the cot. "Wait for me!"

We passed Mia's room. The door was open, revealing an empty bed. She'd already gotten up, too.

We entered to the lobby to find Ivan gone and Mia sitting alone at a two person table.

Garet slid into the seat across from her, leaving me to find another table. So I sat across from a bundled traveler.

"Are you a warrior?" she asked eagerly, reminding me of Spritz.

I shrugged. "I guess you could call me that, yeah."

"Are you going to Colosso?" she wanted to know.

"What's Colosso?" I asked in confusion.

"You don't know what it is!" she exclaimed. "It's only the best tournament ever!"  
I took a bite out of my biscuit. "Go on," I urged once I swallowed.

"Colosso is the greatest tournament ever! Warriors from all over to world go to Tolbi-"  
"Wait," I ordered, swallowing hastily. "What's Tolbi?"  
The tourist made an exasperated noise. "What's Tolbi, he says! Tolbi is the biggest city in all of Angara! You _do_ know what Angara is, don't you?"

I nodded.

"All right. Warriors win fame...and a special prize...in Colosso! I'm going to go see it with those," she jerked her head to indicate the men behind her, "tour guides."  
"Oh. All right. Thanks." I stood up and walked over to the men she'd indicated.

"Everyone looks forward to going to Tolbi once a year for Colosso!" exclaimed one of the men enthusiastically when I asked. "Of course, Tolbi is also famous for their many games."  
"Games, games..." I muttered. "Games! Like...something that might need a game ticket, perhaps?"  
"That's the game!" the man agreed. "Our tour will start on the 29th day of the month of January."  
I calculated the date from the day we'd left Vale. "Oh, okay." I answered. "How much is it?"  
"Three hundred thousand coins," he answered proudly.

I thanked the man and went over to Garet and Mia.

"I think we'd better go find Ivan," I muttered.

Mia shrugged. "I guess so. Have you heard about that Colosso thing?"  
"It sounds pretty good." Garet remarked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. Are you two done eating?"

They both glanced down at their empty plates.

"I'll take that as a yes." I said dryly.

"Hey! Isaac! One more thing before we go off to find Ivan." Garet requested.

"Uh-huh?"  
"Isn't Kalay that city just to the south of Vault with the broken bridge?"  
"Yeah, it is. Why?"  
"Because that man over there just said that the bridge was fixed." Garet informed me.

My mouth dropped open. "You mean we can go back to Vale?"  
Mia looked just as excited as I was. "I finally get to see your hometown!" she exclaimed to Garet.

_And you can get Sap from Vault!_ Flint exclaimed.

I groaned.

"What?" wondered Garet.

"Flint says I'll get to get another Venus Djinni that we saw in Vault."  
Garet made a face. "Too bad."

We left the inn and went on a search for Ivan.

"Have you seen Ivan?" Garet asked the armor dealer. "Short kid, around thirteen, with short blonde hair and purple eyes?"  
"Oh, so he's back?" the dealer exclaimed. "He's a good kid. No, sorry. Are you friends of his?"  
"Yes, we are." I answered. "I am Isaac, of Vale."

"I'm Garet, also of Vale." Garet put in. "And this is Mia of Imil."  
Mia curtseyed. "How do you do?"

"All right, if I see him, I'll tell him to go find Isaac, Garet, and Mia." the dealer promised.

Next we visited the sword-seller.

"Have you seen Ivan?" Mia asked. "He's about three or four inches shorter than me, around fourteen. He's got short blonde hair and huge lavender eyes."

"Oh, Lord Hammet's kid is back in town?" the sword-seller asked. "Funny, he must have arrived without Hammet. I take that you're friends of his."  
"Yes, sir." Mia answered politely. "I'm Mia of Imil, and these are Garet and Isaac, both of Vale."

"Mia, Garet, and Isaac, eh?" the sword-seller pondered. "Well, if I see him, I'll tell him to search for you three. Now, scat so my customers can buy!"  
Next we visited the herb girl.

"Have you seen Ivan?" I asked. "He-"  
"Oh, I know what he looks like." the girl said dismissively. "Yes, he came by my stall earlier today. Are you friends of his?"  
"Yes, Isaac of Vale, Garet of Vale, and Mia of Imil." I answered.

"Good, you're the friends he told me to talk to. He said you three'd probably stop by my stall and to tell you that he's up at the palace." the girl reported.

"Thank you!" I replied gratefully.

We walked up to the palace.

"This is Lord Haammet's palace," a guard told us sternly. "Begone."  
"Wait!" I cried. "We're Ivan's friends! Isaac of Vale, Garet of Vale, and Mia of Imil."

"Oh, you're the kids he told us to look out for, eh?" the guard asked. "Well, I suppose you can come in. Your friend Ivan is with Lady Layana in the throne room."  
We entered the throne room and discovered Ivan speaking to a woman who must have been Lady Layana, just as the guard had said.

"When I heard that you were back, Ivan, I had dared to hope..." Lady Layana's musical voice trailed off. "I had dared to hope that Lord Hammet had returned with you."  
Neither one of them noticed our presence, and I was just about to find some method of revealing us when Garet exclaimed, "There you are, Ivan! We searched half the town for you!"

Ivan jumped. "Good morning. I had figured that you would visit Orilla first, so-"  
Garet cut him off. "Orilla?"  
Ivan looked puzzled. "She sells herbs and other healing items."  
"Oh, the herb girl." Garet realized.

Mia and I were frantically trying to signal for Garet to be quiet any way we could, but he never glanced at either of us.

I cleared my throat loudly. "Lady Layana, we are Ivan's friends and companions on his journey. I am Isaac of Vale,"  
"I am Garet of Vale," Garet put in.

"And I am Mia of Imil." Mia curtseyed.

"Greetings, companions of Ivan." she greeted us.

"We thought Lord Hammet had been released from Lunpa, too, Lady Layana." a guard admitted.

"We sent the ransom money they demanded, so he should return soon, right?" the other asked.

Ivan turned to face the guards. "What has been happening in Lunpa these days?" he inquired.

"Donpa is heartbroken at the state of Lunpa under the rule of Dodonpa," the first guard answered.

"When did you send the ransom money?" Ivan asked, turning back to Lady Layana.

Lady Layana looked far away. "Let's see...first, the volcano erupted."  
Garet nudged me. "They heard Mt. Aleph erupt all the way over here?"

I quieted him by raising my finger to my mouth. "Shh."

"And the ransom note came right after the eruption," a guard said helpfully.

"We rushed the money to them right away," agreed the other.

"How long has it been since the eruption?" Ivan asked, turning to me, this time.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. Long enough for them to have returned Lord Hammet."

"Is it possible they have no intention of letting Lord Hammet go?" Lady Layana asked, sounding horrified.

I realized she was speaking to me. "It is possible..." I admitted.

"You think so too, Isaac?" Ivan inquired.

I nodded.

Lady Layana's voice rose very high. "Are you saying Dodonpa won't release Hammet?!"

I shifted from foot to foot. "It is quite possible..."

"I agree with Ivan and Isaac." Garet spoke up. "If they were going to release him, they'd have done it by now."  
I cringed at Garet's blunt way of putting it.

"I am sorry, Lady Layana, but I think my friends are right." Mia agreed.

Lady Layana stood up and began pacing back and forth. "What should we do?" she murmured, mostly to herself. "How can we rescue Hammet?"  
"What..." she began. "What if something has happened to him?!"

Her words were so much like my thoughts about Jenna I felt like laughing. _How can we rescue Jenna?_ I had wondered. _What if something has happened to her?!_

But her words were nothing to laugh about, just like my worries about Jenna.

"Let us handle this!" spoke up a guard bravely.

"Milady, this is exactly what the soldiers of Kalay are here for!" the other agreed.

"I cannot command you to attack...not without thinking over it carefully...how can we guarantee Hammet's safety if we send soldiers to attack? I cannot do it."

Without thinking, I opened my mouth. "Lady Layana, could _we_ do something to help?"  
Ivan brightened. "Yes, allow us to help!"  
"It is too dangerous," the lady pronounced. "If you fail your lives would be in danger, too."  
They already are, every second of the day, I thought wryly, and without thinking I said these words aloud.

Lady Layana frowned. "Be that as it may, you have your own quest to pursue, correct?"

"Yes," I admitted, remembering when Ivan had used that very same protest.

"I thought so. I knew there had to be a reason Ivan stayed with you." Lady Layana said positively.

"Then...then what will happen to Lord Hammet?" wondered Mia.

Lady Layana's voice shook as she replied, "Hammet is...a good hostage for them. They will not...they will not kill him. We shall wait for another message from Lunpa."

"Lady Layana, I cannot leave like this!" Ivan exclaimed in a worried tone.

The lady shook her head firmly. "It will be fine, Ivan. Hammet would not want to distract you from..."  
"From what?" I persisted.

"I apologize. I have said more than I should."

"It sounds like Hammet knows about our mission." Garet said loudly.

I elbowed him, muttering, "_Lord_ Hammet, Garet."  
"What? She calls him Hammet!" he protested.

"She's his wife." I replied.

"I suppose I can keep it a secret no longer..." Lady Layana murmured, obviously not noticing our quiet battle. "Very well. He swore an oath to a Jupiter Adept."

"A Jupiter Adept?!" repeated Ivan in bewilderment.

"Have you heard of...oh, of course you have heard of Vale. I apologize. Two of you, Isaac and Garet, I believe, come from Vale?"  
"Yes, ma'am." I replied.

"Then the prophecy was true." she answered simply.

"What prophecy?" asked Mia.

"Three years after the terrible storm that struck only Mt. Aleph..." How did she know of such things? Valeans rarely ventured out! And three years...that was this year! Actually, I realized, it was last year. The new year had come and gone with no sort of celebration.

"Ivan must depart on a journey with warriors from Vale..." This was just downright scary.

"So it was foretold." she finished.

"I've heard nothing of any such prophecy." Ivan stated.

"It happened several years before Hammet founded Kalay." Lady Layana replied. "He was off traveling. Hammet felt he had reached an impasse as a merchant then. He risked his life on a journey to find a new source of business. He was in mortal danger at the southwestern edge of the world, when some Adepts appeared and saved his life."

I realized I was shaking.

"He had lost consciousness. When he awoke, he found himself in their village." What village? Surely not Vale or Imil. Wait a moment...Ivan's book had mentioned where the Jupiter Adepts lived...

"Contigo." stated Ivan. "Am I from Contigo?"

Lady Layana looked surprised. "Yes. The Adept gave him the Shaman's Rod and you...along with some doubloons."

"Doubloons..." murmured Mia. "Gold doubloons?"

"Yes! Let's see...you are called...Mia? Of Imil?"

"Yes, ma'am." Mia answered politely.

"He also recieved some business advice," Lady Layana continued.

"Business advice?" Garet repeated. "But isn't he like the greatest merchant ever known or something?"

"Yes, Garet of Vale. Hammet has the Adepts to thank for his success." Lady Layana confirmed.

"Wow." murmured a guard. I jumped. I'd nearly forgotten they were here.

"Did he have to promise them anything in return?" Ivan asked.

"Ah, yes, Ivan. It is something you will need on your journey. The Adepts asked Hammet to use the Shaman's Rod to obtain it," explained Lady Layana. "He looked for this object wherever he went...but he could never find it. Then, after the storm at Mt. Aleph..." I shivered.

"Hammet was worried that time was running out," the lady continued. "But he had managed to unearth a clue just in time. That, Ivan, is why he took you with the caravan on his last-on his most recent journey north."

"I had no idea," Ivan said quietly. "So that is why he left the rod in my care. But then..."

"No, Ivan." Mia protested, her voice barely above a whisper. "You mustn't blame yourself."

"But it was my...my _carelessness_ that caused the rod to be stolen," Ivan disagreed. "And ultimately, that's why Master Hammet is being held in Lunpa."

"You must continue your journey and complete your quest," Lady Layana decided firmly. "You can't blame yourself."

"But what will happen to Lord Hammet?" persisted Mia.

Lady Layana shook her head. "I will handle this."

"Are you positive?" I asked her.

"Yes, Isaac. I am positive." she answered.

"And don't forget the soldiers of Kalay, milady!" piped up a guard.

"Do not worry about Lord Hammet!" agreed the other.

"I am sorry I cannot tell you more about the Shaman's Rod," Lady Layana apologized.

"It is all right," Ivan declared, but from the look on his face I knew it wasn't.

"The Shaman's Rod'll help us find that thing we need on our quest, right?" Garet wanted to know.

I nodded. "Yes, that's what Lady Layana said."  
"Will you look for it?" she asked.

Everyone's heads turned to glance at me. "Of course," I answered.

"If Isaac says we will, then there's nothing to worry about!" exclaimed Garet proudly.

"Very well." Lady Layana agreed. "Take care of yourselves."  
"We shall," I promised.

Then she cleared her throat and raised her voice like the lady she was. "Return to your posts, everyone!"

The guards nodded and left.

"Farewell, Lady Layana." Ivan called softly.

"Farewell!" Garet, Mia, and I chorused.

"Yes, farewell." came the reply.

We left.

"Why were we searching for Ivan again?" I asked stupidly.

Garet shrugged. "I honestly don't remember."  
Mia rolled her eyes. "We're going back to Vale!"  
"Oh, right!" I agreed. Somehow, during the long discussion, Vale had slipped my mind.

Ivan gave a small smile. "Good! Let us be on our way today!"

"Don't worry, Ivan, we'll come back," Mia assured him. "We have to go to Tolbi!"  
Ivan's face lit up. "Really? Ever since I was a small child I have wanted to go there! When?"  
I laughed. "In a few days."

"Great!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, and we started off.

To Vale...to home. But without Jenna. The idea felt somehow empty. Returning without Jenna...

I pushed the thought out of my mind. We'd find Jenna. We'd save her. But we had days to waste before the ship set out to Tolbi. And I knew Mother was worried.

Mother...


	32. Without Jenna

Disclaimer: I still don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: Lord Destroyer, I mentioned in the story that they did not save Hsu. And they _will_ return to Kalay after they go to Vale and Vault.

I surveyed the land in front of us. We'd decided to go home to Vale before stopping in Vault. It was time to stop for a brief lunch before heading...home.

I recalled my promise to Mother and grimaced. But I had to make sure she was all right! And Garet's family was sure to be worried, and Mia and Ivan were anxious to see our hometown...

I was just making excuses. I knew I was going back on my word, and it made me feel awful. The others didn't understand, didn't even know. Not even Garet knew of the promise I'd made to Mother.

I bit into some freshly killed and baked (thanks to Garet) wolf meat. But my attention was not on the food. I was lost in my own mind with visions of home.

Home, yes, but home without Jenna. Had they already crossed the sea, our only other option? Were they, just now, entering Venus or Jupiter or Mars Lighthouse? Lighting it?  
But we had no choice, I reminded myself. The ship would not leave port for a few days. If only Saturos and Menardi had not blocked Silk Road! We would be in Tolbi or farther by now...

Yet I did still wish to visit home again before we traveled too far to reach it. For even after we saved Jenna-the thought pained me-for even after we saved her, we would need to stop them from lighting the remaing lighthouses.

How would we do that? We would be, indeed, lucky, to have that trouble, but what would we do if that happened? Return Jenna to Vale? But I knew she'd never agree to that. But if we took her with us, then she would possibly be captured again. No, I thought, I would _not_ let that happen again.

It felt funny, but rescuing Jenna seemed to be the milestone. But now I realized that even if we did, that didn't solve all our problems.

And what of Felix? Would Jenna even leave without him, if he was truly one of _them_?

I felt a poke in my side and nearly jumped.

"Isaac, are you all right?" came Garet's worried sounding voice. I blinked.

"Um, yeah." I stammered.

"Is something bothering you?" Mia wanted to know.

I started to nod and then thought the better of it. "No," I lied. I hated not telling the truth to my friends, but they looked to me as a leader. "Nothing's wrong."  
And a leader could not show his feelings. I envied them. I wondered if any of them had noticed how I tried to restrain from complaining in the desert, how I never revealed my worries anymore.

It was a terrible burden, and Kraden had laid it on me. I wished he hadn't. And then I thought back to the days before Sol Sanctum. They seemed a lifetime ago.

_"Isaac, what do we do?" Jenna would ask._

_"Hey, Isaac, what's the plan?" Garet would call._

_I could even remember Felix saying, "So, Isaac, what are we doing today?"_

I shook my head, clearing the memories away. Kraden had not been the one to lay it on me. Besides, Ivan and Mia had never even seen Kraden.

I felt myself being shaken and I looked up into Ivan's face. "Are you all right?"  
"I'm fine!" I snapped.

Ivan viewed me with unconvinced eyes. "Are you sure?"

I glared at him. "I'm sure!"

"Really, Isaac," Mia said softly.

"Really!" I snapped. I got up hastily to avoid more questioning. I grabbed my pack and with perhaps a bit more violence than was necessary flung it over my shoulder.

I could hear the other three quietly talking, most likely about me. I didn't care.

Part of my mind was protesting. You do care!

I ignored that part. I stomped on, but my walking became lighter as my thoughts drifted to peaceful memories of Vale...

_"Hi, Isaac!" Jenna greeted cheerfully, walking out of her front door. It was a warm July day, exactly one year before the storm._

_"Hi!" I replied, waving to Garet's sister Kay as she passed the two of us._

_Jenna looked from left to right. "Where's Garet?"_

_I rolled my eyes. "Who knows? I was just about to look for him."_

_"I'll help," she offered. _

_"Okay," I agreed. We walked along the edge of the pool, and all of a sudden I had a great idea._

_Grinning, I tried to shove Jenna in the water. She squealed in protest and pushed me in turn._

_I almost lost my balance, but steadied myself with the Psynergy Stone. Jenna just grinned and tried to push me again._

_But I moved backwards, out of her reach. For a moment she teetered, but finally she tipped into the water._

_I laughed. She surfaced, spitting water out. _

_She reached out and grabbed my ankle. My laughs turned to protests as I fell over and rolled into the pool._

_Jenna grinned. I glared, but I didn't really mean it. I dived under, meaning to grab her._

_But she was faster and swam away, to the opposite side of the Psynergy Stone._

_I made a face at her and swam towards her. Jenna was trapped._

_She hopped out of the water and began dashing up the steps out of the Plaza._

_Spitting water, soaking wet, I jumped out of the pool and began racing after her._

_When we finally arrived at Garet's house, he opened the door to find us both soaking wet and breathless..._

I paused from my rememberings and looked around. We were nearing Vale. Suddenly feeling as though I might be able to go back to that very day I had been remembering, I ran forward, trying to reach Vale as quickly as possible.

I dashed straight into Vale.

Heads turned at my dramatic entrance. The nearest people started shouting and calling, "There's Isaac!"

"Is your quest over?" a man shouted.

I held a finger to my mouth. Garet, Ivan, and Mia rushed in. "We're not done with our quest, and we want to surprise Garet's family and my mother!"  
Everyone quieted down. "This is Ivan of Kalay, and this is Mia of Imil," I continued.

Garet grinned. "I can't wait to see everyone again! Mia, you can stay for dinner at my house. Ivan, you too. And of course, Isaac."

I smiled. "I'd like to check up on Mother, first, though."

Separating from the others, I silently walked up to my house, half-afraid of what I'd find.

I finally reached my home. The ladder still leaned against the house, and the holes were still there. That worried me.

I entered the house silently. I discovered Mother laying in bed, gray sags under her eyes.

I felt like my insides were being torn out. Gently, I checked her temperature with my hand. Her eyes opened.

"Who...who is it?" Mother wondered, coughing. "Is it time to eat?"  
"It's me, Isaac." I answered gently.

Mother sat up excitedly. "Are you finally home?" she asked in a hopeful tone. "Have you completed your mission?"

I shook my head sadly. "No. I know I am going against my word, but I had to come check on you."

"Who told you I was ill?" she demanded. "The mayor? The innkeeper?"

"Nobody told me. I just wanted to check on you, that's all." I couldn't tell her the reason why I had to check on her. But first I lost my father, and then one of my best friends. What would I do if I lost my other parent?

"You can't get out of your promises just because you were worried about me," Mother said sternly.

I bit my lip. "Mother, are you sure you're all right? I could have Mia, one of my friends, help you."

Mother shook her head. "I..." she coughed violently. "I just caugh a cold. That's all."  
"She's great with colds!" I insisted.

"But I'm fine now." Mother protested. She coughed again. "Look!"

She clambered out of bed, walked to the wall, and then turned. "I'm fine!"  
I didn't believe it. "Really, Ply works wonders!"

"Don't worry about me," Mother insisted. "Go on. Do your best to complete your quest, all right?"  
I nodded.

"Do you need supper?" she fretted. "The innkeeper-"  
"It's okay," I interrupted her. "Garet invited us over for dinner."

Mother nodded. "Then go have fun. Goodness knows you need it. Goodbye."  
"Goodbye." I replied, leaving.

Outside, I paused a moment before heading up to Garet's house. I found him inside. Kay and Mia were chatting excitedly about something, and the mayor was questioning Ivan. Garet himself was just sort of standing there, watching. I joined him.

"Hey," he responded when I stood next to him. "How was Dora?" Mother insisted on all my friends calling her by her first name.

"She's sick," I replied, my eyes downcast.

Garet looked worried. "How sick? Should we ask Mia to help?"  
I shook my head. "I suggested it three times. Mother refused each time."

Garet sighed. "Oh, well. It'll be about an hour before dinner, and I don't know _what_ to do."

Ivan joined us. "Maybe I could have a tour of Vale?" he suggested hopefully.

Mia walked over to us. "A tour? That sounds great."

Garet shrugged. "All right. Isaac, do you want to be the tour guide or shall I?"  
I held back a laugh. "You."  
He shrugged again. "All right. All aboard!"  
"All aboard what?" wondered Mia, sounding confused.

The four of us started out the door.

"And this is the training stone and garden," Garet announced as we passed Kay's garden.

"The Sanctum," he announced. "Mt. Aleph and Sol Sanctum. The waterfall. The stairs. Kraden's house. _The cave_."  
He paused. "Hey, Isaac, could we show them around the cave?"

"But there's a boulder in the way!" I protested.

"Use that lift-thing you got in Altin!"

I shrugged and dug the chip out of my pack. I concentrated on the boulder lifting...lifting...

Finally the boulder floated high enough for even tall Garet to walk beneath. And we entered...the cave.

I felt somehow guilty. I'd never gone into the cave without Jenna before. And I'd never brought anyone into the cave.

In the second room, I noticed something.

"A Jupiter Djinni!" I exclaimed.

Ivan looked up. He made a noise that sounded like a cross between a sigh and a groan.

"They _do_ make you stronger," I reminded him.

"How do you get to it?" wondered Mia.

Garet shrugged. "Dunno. Not from this room, unless you want to swim. But I don't think I want to do that."  
"We used to," I remembered.

Garet shuddered. "A small correction. _You_ and _Jenna_ used to. I didn't trust it."  
"That's not true!" I protested. "You swam in it, too!"  
"Before I caught a cold."  
"Oh, right."  
"Why don't we just back to the last room and try to get to the Djinni?" Mia broke in.

We reentered the last room. Six stumps floated in the water as they always had. But they were too far apart.

"I guess we have to go the swimming route," I decided, but Ivan stopped me.

"No," he said. "Reveal."

As he pronounced that word, I could feel my vision change. Suddenly I saw a hidden stump.

"Brilliant!" I complimented.

He grinned. "Let's go."  
One by one, we hopped across the stumps. After that, we climbed the ladder.

I'd climbed that ladder a million times if I'd climbed it once, I thought as I scaled it.

Next, we moved things over to reach a treasure chest. I knew what the treasure was, for the chest had been empty the first time we dared to go that far. We'll filled it with a Druminat nut. I picked up the nut and glanced around the dead end. The Djinni was on the other side of the chasm.

Returning, I figured out the puzzle. I used Move twice and we headed on.

As I walked down the familiar passages, my thoughts turned to Jenna. Not like they ever left her, these days. But this time my thoughts weren't on the kidnapped fifteen-year-old of today. No, I was thinking of the Jenna at eight, the one with pigtails and an adventurous expression.

Finally we reached a treasure chest. It had been empty for as long as I could remember, but inside I found a small gem.

Ivan picked it up. "I assume it bestows some sort of Psynergy, right?"  
I shrugged. "It wasn't in here before."

And then...the Djinni. It turned, looked at us, and hopped off the cliff. We slid down after it.

It seemed to be mumbling to itself. "What was that again where I could tell whether they're evil or good?" it mumbled.

I chased it and it ran, alwas around and around. I gave up, leaning against the wall.

"I've got an idea," Ivan reached into his pack and pulled out the gem. Immediately the Djinni froze.

The four of us approached it carefully.

Flint popped out. "Hey, hi, hello, how do you do, what'cha doing?" he squeaked.

The Djinni turned slowly. "Hello, I'm Kite. I was just about to fight those Adepts."  
"Why?" Flint wanted to know.

"Why what?" Kite asked.

"Why were you going to fight them?" Flint demanded.  
"Who?" the Djinni wondered.

"The Adepts!" Flint said, sounding exasperated.

"Oh, them, what about them?" Kite asked.

"Kite!" came a familiar, squeaky voice. Ivan made the groan-sigh noise again.

"Oh! Hello...Huff? No...Fluff? Gruff? Gus?" Kite guessed.

"Gust!" Gust answered. "Are you going to join these chivalrous knights on their quest to rescue the kidnapped princess and fight the dragons that are keeping her captive? For lo! they saved me from my eternal peril, the peril of imprisonment! Yea, they are brave and worthy knights and I am proud to be but their humble servant!"

Kite looked a little confused.

"Hey, are you a warrior Djinni?" Spritz wanted to know.

She shook her head. "No."  
"A guardian Djinni?" Spritz questioned.

"No." Kite answered.

"Then you must be a healing Djinni, like me!" Spritz assumed.

"Well...wait, what am I again? Who are you?" Kite wondered.

"I'm Spritz," he answered. "And I was just asking what you are."  
"Oh. I...I...I allow...I allow the person who commands me one minute where nobody but them moves." she remembered.

"A guard Djinni," Spritz decided.

"Kite!" came the voice of Breeze.

"Kite!" echoed Quartz.

"Kite!" Granite.

"Kite!" Smog.

"Kite!" Vine.

"Kite! Kite! Kite! Kite!" came the voices of the rest.

I shuddered when I saw the full horror of the sixteen Djinn (counting Kite) who now traveled with us.

Kite looked very confused. "Who are all of these people?"  
Breeze fluttered over to her. "Oh, come _on_, don't tell me you don't recognize your own brother! You're as bad as a Venus Djinn!"  
"Hey!" Flint protested in an annoyed tone.

"Brat?" Kite wondered. "Bronze? Brief?"  
"You're close!" Breeze encouraged his sister. "Breeze."  
"Oh! Right!" Kite blinked. "What was I saying?"

Breeze sighed. "Kite, why don't you go to your Adept?"

"Wait, how do you know my name?" she questioned.

Breeze sighed again. "This way."

They promptly disappeared. Ivan massaged his forehead as all the other Djinn set themselves.

"Five. Wow," Garet commented. "At least that really makes you stronger."

My stomach growled. "It must be about time for dinner," I figured. "Let's go."  
And we headed off for dinner. Dinner in Vale. Yet as I stuffed myself, I thought about how Jenna ought to have been there.


	33. A New Day

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: Happy 2007, everyone! Hope you have a good one.

Lord Destroyer, it is a little hard, but I have a list that I work on. I don't just come up with them as they meet them. Also, some of them just pop out obviously (like Flint). Also, some of the things they do give them their personalities (e.g., Mist).

I woke up bright and early that morning...in Vale. I was in my own room, in my own bed, and for a moment I forgot all about the quest.

I was trying to decide whether to keep laying in bed until lunchtime or whether to seek out Jenna and Garet. I rolled over, contemplating my indecision. I felt exhausted, but no doubt that Jenna and Garet would get into some kind of trouble without me.

Sometimes I _hate_ being the responsible one.

I rolled back over and climbed out of bed sleepily. And it was then that I saw the axe laying beside my bed. I glanced up to see my pack hanging on the wall. And I was rushed back to reality.

Jenna was gone. We had left Vale to rescue her. Her brother was alive.

I felt an inexplicable urge to cry, but I held back the tears. Jenna hates crying. She wouldn't want me to cry because she's kidnapped. She'd want me to go after her.

I carefully walked down our stairs, avoiding the third to the bottom which I knew creaked. Mother was laying in bed, and I didn't want to disturb her. "Kyle...don't go..." she murmured in her sleep.

Had she heard me? True, I wasn't my father, but Mother always said we looked so much alike. And if she was feverish...

"Goodbye, Mother," I whispered, easing the door open and slipping out of it.

I almost ran into Ivan.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed. I held a finger on my lips. He nodded.

When we were a safe distance away, I asked him, "So where are Garet and Mia?" The other three had all spent the night at Garet's-no need to go to the inn. Kay was happy to share with Mia, and Ivan roomed with Aaron.

Ivan shrugged. "Garet's probably still asleep, and I think Mia is, too."

We crept up to Garet's house, not wanting to wake them, either. But when I opened the door, I came face-to-face with Garet. Or really face-to-shoulder, because he's a good bit taller than I am.

He, incredibly, looked wide-awake.

"G-good morning, Garet." I stammered.

He grinned. "I know, you're thinking, 'Why didn't he sleep late?' Well, it was all Aaron's fault! Hey! Ivan...did you have anything to do with it?"  
Ivan shook his head hastily. "I left your house very early in the morning."

Garet shrugged. "Anyway, Aaron asked Mia and Kay to help and they said yes..."  
"Help what?" I asked.

"Help wake me up...at four thirty!" Garet answered.

"_Four thirty_?" Ivan and I repeated in unison.

"Four thirty," Garet confirmed. "And listen to how they did it. First, they danced around the room making as much noise as possible. Then Mia used some sort of water Psynergy, and then Kay fire Psynergy. And then Aaron started shaking my bed back and forth."  
I could imagine that picture clearly, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"It's not funny!" he protested indignantly. "I suppose if you'd have been there you would have helped, wouldn't you?"

I refused to answer.

"Anyway, do you want some breakfast?" he continued.

I hadn't realized how hungry I was until he said that. "Sure!"

He led us inside to the table. Mia and Kay were still laughing, apparently about the wake-Garet-up trick.

"Mia, I thought you were supposed to be a gentle healer and all that stuff!" I accused.

She looked guilty. "I am! I just..." Her voice trailed back into laughter.

Shaking my head, I took my seat next to Garet. Ivan slid into the seat next to me. Jenna's seat. I felt that feeling of betrayal again. But I knew that Kay sat there every day that Jenna hadn't come.

Trying to shake the feeling off, I stared down at my plate. Luckily, it wasn't just Garet who had a large appetite in their family. The helpings were huge.

I dug in ravenously. But I still couldn't help but think of my kidnapped friend. Why had I wanted to come home, again? Memories of Jenna haunted me everywhere I went in Vale. This was where Jenna, Garet, and I had explored. This was Jenna's favorite place to be. This was Jenna's house. This was Jenna's grandparents' house where she'd lived since the storm. This was Jenna's seat. Jenna's garden. Jenna's...

I could stand it no longer, even thinking of her birthday present I planned to try to give to her at the next lighthouse. I finished quickly and left Garet's house. I waited at the border of Vale for the others.

While they were gone, I fingered the unfinished gift. It wouldn't be her birthday for a while, but I was sure that Jenna wouldn't mind.

As soon as the others arrived I led the way out of Vale silently.

"I just realized something!" Ivan said suddenly. "It's my birthday."  
"Happy birthday!" I called back.

"Happy birthday!" Garet and Mia echoed.

"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything, but I didn't know when your birthday was," I apologized.

"It's all right. It's not my _real_ birthday, anyway. I wonder if Master Hama knows when my real birthday is."

Mia replied, "Maybe. How do you think she knows you, anyway?"

"I don't know. Perhaps she was a friend of my parents," he suggested.

"Or maybe she's your cousin," Garet put in.

I was struggling with my decision whether to mention my theory or not. She could be his cousin, too. Master Hama didn't _have_ to be Ivan's sister.

Ivan himself saved me from that decision. "I wonder how Hsu is."  
I sighed. "I wish we could check on him-"

"But we're _not_ going into that desert again," the others chorused.

I sent them exasperated looks. "I know! And I don't particularly want to go through Mogall Forest again. There's nothing we can do."

"You're right," Garet agreed. "By the way, when's lunch?"  
This time it was Mia's turn to send an exasperated look. "We just ate breakfast!"

"But I've been up since four thirty, thanks to you." he shot back.

I stepped in. "I'm hungry, too, but let's at least get to Vault first."

We walked on in silence. I was lost in my memories.

_"Isaac!" Garet called. "Isaac!"_

_We were playing a new game, Hide and go Seek. Garet was, obviously, Seeking. I kept as quiet as I could._

_I could hear rustling noises as he searched for me. I kept still._

_"You don't have a chance!" he shouted. I was hiding the one place he'd never look-underwater._

_I surfaced for a gulp of air, hoping he wouldn't see me. I dived back under._

_"Isaac!" he called. I heard him leap onto the platform holding the Psynergy Stone. I kept still and quiet, but my lungs felt like they were going to explode._

_I surfaced. Garet saw me._

_"Gotcha!" he cried happily._

_"Have you gotten Jenna yet?" I wanted to know._

_He shook his head. "No. You're the first one."  
I nodded. "That means I get to search with you."_

_We crept along, looking for anywhere where Jenna might be. "Jenna?" I called._

_I heard a rustling noise. A Druminat nut fell on my head. "Jenna, I know you're in that tree!" I shouted. "I've found you!"_

_I heard a sigh and she climbed down. "I just couldn't help it!" she giggled..._

"Isaac!" Garet called. "Isaac!"  
"You already found me!" I snapped, before I realized that I had been daydreaming. "Um...what is it?"

"Vault!" he declared.

I looked at the buildings. Familiar, yet not as familiar as Vale. I welcomed this familiar feeling, and stepped inside Vault.

A/N: Short, I know.

It'll be a great start to the new year if whoever reads this clicks that little button called "Submit Review". Anonymous reviews are on. Give it a try.


	34. Facing Fears

Disclaimer: I still do not own Golden Sun.

_Ring the bell!_ Flint demanded impatiently.

I mentally sighed. _Flint, I'm working on it, all right?_

I was at the bottom of the ladder leading to the bell tower. I glanced nervously up. The tower seemed taller than I'd remembered.

_Don't be a scaredy-cat!_ Vine taunted.

I sent him a mental glare. _Don't _you_ start with me._

_Flint's right,_ Granite put in. _Ring it already!_

_You're not afraid to fight two super-powerful Mars Adepts to save your precious Jenna, but you won't climb a ladder?_ Quartz asked skeptically.

I sighed again, aloud this time. I was alone. Flint had assured me that Sap shouldn't be a problem, that the second I rung the bell he'd come. _Fine! I'll do it! Why do I need another Djinni, anyway? All you four ever do is gang up on me!_

Reluctantly, I put one hand on the ladder. It creaked. I took a deep breath and started up the ladder. It wasn't so bad as long as I didn't look down.

I rang the bell, but instead of Sap rushing towards me, the Djinni dashed over to a cliff. I spotted a cave exit nearby.

I climbed down the ladder and felt great relief when the ground was under my feet again. I started off towards the mayor's house.

The white-haired mayor was speaking to Ivan as I entered. Garet and Mia looked up.

Garet smiled, made a talking motion with his hand, rolled his eyes, and jerked his thumb towards the mayor. Mia looked furious. Luckily, neither Ivan nor the mayor saw this exchange.

I understood Garet's sign language-the mayor was a windbag and Garet wanted me to rescue them. I rolled my eyes in reply and cleared my throat loudly.

The mayor looked up. "Oh, yes, it's young Isaac! How are you?"  
"Fine. I came to, um, get my friends." I answered.

"You're leaving so soon?" he asked.

Garet grinned fervently, nodding his head. Mia elbowed him gently. "Stop," I caught her murmuring.

"Well, no." I replied truthfully. "But we have a little, erm, situation with the Djinn."  
The mayor nodded like he understood. "I see. Well then, go on! I hope the rest of your stay in Vault will be pleasant. Please visit again before you leave!"

As soon as we left, Garet made a face. "Thanks for saving us, but you should have said yes!"

Mia gave him an exasperated look. "No, he shouldn't! But...yes, the mayor _did_ talk...a little too much." she admitted in a guilty tone.

"What's the 'situation' with the Djinn?" Ivan asked.

Garet paled. "You _didn't_ insult them, did you?"

I shook my head hastily. "No. But see, Flint wanted me to get Sap. So he told me to ring the bell, and I did, which just scared Sap over to a cliff. There's a cave exit near there, and I wondered if it was a tunnel."

Ivan looked over to the tower thoughtfully. "Hmm. Maybe. We better look all over."

And we did. We searched in the prison first. The bandits had escaped. Ivan was very upset.

"What if they try to steal from another town?" he worried.

I laughed. "Don't worry, Ivan. We've been to practically every town in Angara. Wherever they go, they'll hear about us, and I doubt that'll make them want to steal from those places. We beat them up once, we can do it again."

Ivan didn't look convinced. "Are you sure? I know they must have grown stronger..."  
"But _we've_ grown stronger!" Garet put in. "Mia's joined us, and just think of all the battles we've faced since those bandits."

Ivan still didn't look sure. "I guess so..."

Next, we searched the inn. The Sanctum. The well. Basically everywhere. Until we came to the only place we hadn't searched.

"A graveyard?" Garet repeated skeptically. "A _graveyard_? Don't you think that's going a little too far?!"

I sighed. "Garet, it's the only place we haven't tried."  
"Garet, give it a chance!" pleaded Mia.

"We don't even know if we can get to it." Ivan pointed out sensibly. He'd recovered from his earlier worries. "There's a dog standing in the way."

Garet leaned over. "Shoo!"  
I laughed. "It's not going to work."  
Mia walked over to the dog and scratched it between the ears. Suddenly the dog leaped up. He pranced on two legs, trying to get at Mia's pack.

"What could he want in there?" she wondered, opening it. The dog sniffed inside eagerly.

"Oh, that food the mayor gave us," Mia realized, breaking a piece of bread off. She tossed it as far away as she could. He leaped after it.

Ivan walked into the center of the graves. "I have an idea," he breathed. And then he was gone.

"Ivan!" Garet, Mia, and I called simultaneously.

"I'm okay!" His muffled, but unmistakeable voice seemed to be coming from beneath our feet. "I'll come back up."  
A moment later, he reappeared.

"What did you _do_?" Garet wondered in bewilderment.

Ivan was covered in dust. He rubbed it off. "Reveal."

Ivan walked forward and took my hand, and Mia's. Garet grabbed hold of both our hands, and soon our small circle was standing in the middle of the miniscule graveyard.

Ivan closed his eyes and concentrated. I could see wisps of Psynergy floating in front of each of us. I looked down. Below us was a ladder.

"We've got a bit of a problem." Garet remarked.

I shook my head and let go of Ivan. I still hung to Garet. Slowly, I began climbing down the ladder.

I blinked my eyes as they adjusted to the dim light. I could easily see why Ivan had been covered in dust. I doubted anyone had used this tunnel for many years.

I blinked again. Garet came down next. "Dusty, isn't it?"

I nodded. Mia climbed down. She sneezed.

Ivan was the last. After we were all clustered in the small room, I gestured for the others to follow and walked on.

We finally reached a dead end. There was a door, but a rusty gate closed it off. Ivan inspected it. "Maybe I can blow it off with a whirlwind?" he suggested.

"No," Mia spoke up. Two heads turned to look at her (Garet already was). She pointed to an imprint on the floor, shaped like a flame. Then she pointed to one of the two torchs. "Simple. We move the torch onto that imprint."  
"Simple for you," Garet muttered. "I'll bet fifty coins Isaac and I will have to drag that thing over there."

Mia sent him a hopeful look. "It's not too far..."

I sighed. I knew the looks of Mia, now, in addition to Jenna. This one was the one that always got Garet, the pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top. It was almost identical to the one before Jenna's most convincing, the winning death-glare. Mia didn't have one of those, but she did have an exasperated-and-slightly-angry one that was pretty bad.

Garet sighed, too. "All right, we'll do it."

Mia smiled gratefully. In her own way, I thought wryly, she can be as commanding as Jenna can be.

Garet and I walked over to the torch. Pushing and pulling, we managed to slide it onto the imprint. The rusty gate slid into the wall.

The next room had several water puddles. Mia and Garet simply froze them so we could walk on.

In the next room, we faced stairs. I led the way down them, desperately hoping they led to the Djinni.

Instead, they led to another rusty gate and torch. But this time we were on the wrong side of them.

After returning to the higher level, we started up another set of stairs. To meet an angry monster.

I took a step back, almost slipping down the stairs, as the bear glowered down at us. But Garet was ready. "Vol-"  
I held a finger over my mouth. He nodded, and a volcano erupted beneath the angry bear.

It growled, but this time we had all readied. Before I could call Flint, however, Gust spun forward.

_Pick me! _Vine demanded.

_All right,_ I thought absently. _Hey! Wait! What do you-_

But before I could finish my question, Vine had already zipped forward. He weaved around and between the bear's legs. When it tried to swat him with one of its huge claws, Vine had already used a float-joy on it. The bear made confused growls as it floated in the air.

Vine zipped back to me. "I Tangle foes to reduce agility," he answered smugly.

I heard a familiar yawn. Sure enough, Mist was floating over to the bear sleepily. The air filled with fog and I was blinded for a moment or two. When the mist cleared, the bear was laying fast asleep on the floor.

I rushed forward and lopped its head off. We continued on.

The next room was filled with water.

"I could swim it," Mia offered.

I shook my head. "No, we better stay together. If we can't find another way, we'll return." It was strange, I thought, how making decisions now came like second nature. It wasn't any easier to make them, but I didn't wait for someone else to say something before I stammered something out.

We returned to the large room and climbed down a (thankfully short) ladder. And then up another short ladder. I was beginning to tire of this cave and wished I'd never told the others about Sap.

Bored, I glanced at Ivan, who, as always, had his face buried in a book. He glanced up every minute or two to make sure he wasn't drowning or something. "What are you reading?"

Ivan looked up wildly, then calmed down. "Oh...um, _A History of Weyard_." He held up the huge volume he was holding, and not for the first time I wondered how he carried them along with him. "Did you know that Vault was founded by Adepts?"  
I shook my head. "But we never saw any there."  
"It's because Vault has been a town since before the Adepts even _thought_ of founding Vale. But at the prospect of an all-Adept city where they didn't have to hide their Psynergy, the Adepts left to go to Vale." he explained.

"Makes sense," I remarked.

"Imil was founded by a Mercury Adept named Imilia of the Apojii Islands. She-"  
"Imil was founded by a Mercury Adept?" Mia repeated. "A female Mercury Adept?"

Ivan nodded. "Yes. She was, in fact, the sister of the founders of the other Adept cities at the base of each lighthouse. The home of the Jupiter Adepts, Contigo, was formed by Tyran of Shaman Village, a Jupiter Adept himself."

"I didn't know siblings could be different kinds of Adepts," Mia remarked.

"I didn't, either," Ivan admitted.

Garet grinned. I knew why. Finally, he knew something Mia and Ivan didn't. "I did."  
Mia gave him an incredulous look. "You _did_?"  
He nodded. "Yeah. Jenna's a Mars Adept, but Felix is a Venus."

Ivan blinked and continued, "Lalivero was formed by Lillian of Mikasalla, and Prox by Maronaff of Tundaria."  
"Why are they all from different places?" I wondered.

Ivan shrugged. "I guess their parents traveled a lot. Anyway, the four siblings had a fight...the exit!"

I looked up immediately. Sure enough, the sunlight was pouring in. It never could have been as welcome, I thought. We climbed up the steps to see Sap...gone.

I groaned. "Don't tell me we came all this way for nothing."

"Don't give up yet." Flint encouraged, appearing on my shoulder. "Sap! SAP! It's Flint! SAP!"

The Djinni looked out shyly. "Flint?"  
"Yes, come on out!" Flint called.

Sap slowly walked out from behind the tree. I was half afraid the rest of the Djinn would pop out and scare the-I couldn't believe I was thinking this of a Djinni-poor little thing. But Flint had apparently told them of Sap's shyness. "Are-are you Adepts?"  
I nodded. "Yes, we are."  
"Are-are y-you my Adept?" he stammered.

I nodded again. "Yes, I am."

"You-you won't hurt me, will you?"

I shook my head gently. I couldn't believe I was feeling sorry for a Djinni.

He brightened. "Flint, will you show me around? Won't this be great?"  
All of a sudden, I didn't feel so sorry for him anymore.

A/N: Review! Please! Just press that little "Submit Review" button...


	35. A Very Talkative Mayor

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

A/N: I know, extremely short. But I had to have something where they left Vault and went back to Kalay.

"And the bandits escaped. We are not sure how."

We were back at the mayor's house after a vote of 2-1-1, and I agreed with Garet now-the mayor was definitely "a windbag" as Garet put it.

"So, tell me about your journey," the mayor prompted.

Garet rolled his eyes. "You should have stayed outside," he mouthed. "So you could rescue me."  
I held back a laugh. Garet glared at me. "It's not funny," he whispered, sliding closer.

"Well, after we left Vault," I started, secretly hoping Garet would manage to get us out, "we went through the cave to Bilibin, like you told us to. The lord refused to let us go to help the people of Kolima, but we went anyway, discovered that Tret-"  
"Tret?" the mayor interrupted.

"Tret is...the king of the forest," I answered. I was trying to make my tale as short as possible. The boat set out the day after tomorrow, and we needed to buy supplies in Kalay. "Anyway, he was dying, so we went to Imil-"  
"Imil?" he interrupted again. I secretly thought that he kept interrupting just to hear himself speak. "The city at the base of Mercury Lighthouse?"

I nodded. "Yes, that Imil. Anyway, we went to Mercury Lighthouse, met Mia, made our way to the top, met Saturos and-"

"Saturos?" he broke in. "Who is Saturos?"  
I was starting to feel exasperated. "Saturos and Menardi-we told you about them, remember? The last time we came?"  
The mayor nodded. "Yes, I remember now. Please continue."

I sighed as loudly as I dared. "Menardi, Jenna-"  
"Jenna?"  
"Our friend, remember?"

"Ah, yes, that Jenna. Go on."  
"Menardi, Jenna, Felix,"  
"Felix?"  
"Jenna's brother!" I didn't mean to shout, but the mayor was getting on my nerves. "Um, sorry. Felix is Jenna's brother."  
"I see." the mayor replied politely.

"Menardi, Jenna, Felix, and we thought Alex-Alex is a...friend of Mia's." I added quickly, before he could interrupt.

Mia made a face. "Make that _former_ friend."  
"Mia's former friend Alex," I corrected. "Anyway, Menardi, Jenna, Felix, and Alex, we thought, rode down to the bottom of the lighthouse."  
"Rode down?" The mayor sounded confused.

"The elevator. " I thought, besides the Felix shout, I was showing a great deal of patience for his annoying habit. "So we fought Saturos, but then Alex walked up from behind the beacon. The beacon is a large beam of light, blue in the case of Mercury."

"Yes, I know." The mayor sounded offended.

"Well, anyway, Alex stalled us and then they escaped. Mia decided to join us, we collected healing waters to heal Tret, and we left Imil." I was surprised he didn't break in to ask what sort of healing waters. "We went back to Tret, healed him, and he returned the people of Kolima."  
"From where?"  
"They had been transformed into trees," I explained. "So the people in Kolima built a bridge, which we crossed. The bridge led to Nyunpa."  
"Nyunpa?" the mayor questioned.

"Master Nyunpa," I corrected myself. "Anyway, Nyunpa gave us a test. We took the test and received Force."  
"Force?"  
"A special power. We went through a maze of forest, Mogall Forest, and ended up near Xian. From Xian, we went to Altin and Lama Temple."  
"What kind of temple?"  
"I don't know. Anyway, there we met Master Hama. She showed us how to cross the great desert. So we crossed the desert," I desperately hoped Mia wouldn't put in anything about how horrible the desert was, "and we reached Kalay. In Kalay, we discovered the bridge had been fixed and we went to Vale and then here."

The mayor seemed pleased with my shortened version of our quest. "I hope you have good luck in your travels and all that you do."

I nodded. "The same to you, sir."

When we finally left, Garet started complaining. "He talks way too mu-"  
"Stop complaining!" Mia scolded. "It's very annoying."  
"You're one to talk, Miss Oh-the-desert's-so-hot!" Garet flared up.

I let them go on like that for a while before simply heading out of Vault. They immediately noticed and raced to catch up.

As we walked along the road to Kalay, my thoughts drifted back to my memories. I remembered a day not too long ago...

_"Isaac! Guess what?" Jenna's excited voice rang in my tired ears._

_I rubbed my bleary eyes. "What?"_

_"I finally got a sword!" Jenna was alive with excitement. "Will you practice with me?"_

_I yawned. "I don't know. I'm really tired. I hardly got any sleep last night."  
Jenna turned her prized death-glare on me. If I'd been more awake I would have wondered why she wasn't doing her looks in order. _

_"Why don't you ask Garet?" I wondered sleepily._

_"I already did!" Oh. So that's why the death-glare first._

_"Jenna-"_

_She crossed her arms and glared down at me. How she does that I'm still not sure, considering I'm over a quarter of a foot taller. "Don't 'Jenna' me! At least come up with an excuse!"_

_I yawned again. "I guess being tired doesn't count. How about this-you give me two hours and I'll meet you in front of the Psynergy Stone?"_

_Jenna considered it for a moment. "All right," she allowed._

_Two hours later, true to my word, I met her in the Plaza. Her eyes were steely. She held her prized sword gently. She was ready._

_I stood there, feeling awkward. Somehow, even though Jenna and I both swore we never told a single person, half the town had gathered to watch, especially the younger children._

_Finally, I danced forward with my blade. Jenna parried the blow._

_I could hear Garet alternately chanting, "Isaac! Isaac! Isaac!" and "Jenna! Jenna! Jenna!". I could hear Kay cheering for me, and Aaron cheering for Jenna. I could hear every single child and teenager in Vale shouting one of our names. It didn't feel good._

_"Scared?" Jenna taunted me, a standard comment in these sorts of fights._

_"Not on your life," I lied, the proper reply._

_Suddenly, her blade flew towards me. The blades were sheathed, so that no harm besides bruises would come to either of us. I tried to dodge the blow, but I was too slow, and it hit my arm painfully. Mindlessly, I swung my blade._

_It all happened so slowly. The sheath flew off the blade. The sword collided with her arm. She let out a cry of pain and collapsed. I knelt down immediately, afraid of what I might see._

_But it was mainly the impact that caught her off balance. Jenna was okay. But I promised to never duel with anyone like that again._

"Isaac! Isaac! Isaac!" Garet shook me.

I looked up. "Huh? The fight's over."

Garet gave me a confused look. "What are you talking about? We've reached Kalay."

I blinked. "Oh."

It was barely nightfall, and after we ate dinner I retired to the room early. I felt doubly exhausted, as if my feelings after the memory I'd thought on had rubbed off on me and added to my weariness.

And I had to sleep well, for who knew what Tolbi might bring...


	36. Ivan's Surprise

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

_Jenna raced towards me._

_"Isaac, you have to save Felix!" she cried, dashing right past._

_"Of course!" I shouted, jumping ten feet straight up and grabbing Felix from Alex's hands. I plummeted down to the ground, but inches before my inevitable demise Jenna flew by on great red wings and snatched both of us. She flew us towards Luna, the moon, which surprisingly enough looked like Kraden's head._

_We landed and Garet crawled out of a hole from the white ground of the moon._

_"Wake up!" he called "Wake up!"_

"Wake up!" the real Garet shouted. I blinked. I realized I had been dreaming. Of course I had been-Jenna couldn't fly! Luna didn't look like Kraden's head and Garet didn't live on it and I couldn't jump ten feet straight up. How had I thought that was reality?  
Because my reality is almost as weird, I answered myself.

"Wake up! We were wrong, Isaac! The ship leaves today!" Garet told me.

I sat bolt upright, leaped out of bed, and got myself ready. Then I turned. "Now?"  
Garet grinned. "No. Around five this evening."

I glared at him.

Just then, Mia poked her head into the room. "Aren't you going to get up already? Ivan already picked up the herbs from Orilla, I already bought clothing for myself and Ivan's buying his right now and I'm ready to go to the weapons booth!"  
I switched my glare to her, which she coolly countered. "I'm already up! I was just about to leave!"

"Oh, all right." she relented. "Are both of you ready?"  
Garet and I nodded and followed her down the hall.

We went to the armor stall first.

I inspected his wares carefully. I spotted some chain mail. "How much is that mail, sir?"

"Let's see...two thousand." the armor dealer answered, checking his list.

I dug in my wallet and came up short. I needed only a single coin. I nudged Garet. "Garet, can I borrow a coin?"  
His eyes narrowed. "How much?"

"Just what I said. A coin." I answered.

Garet pulled out a single coin. "What could that buy?"  
"Some chain mail, when combined with one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine others." I replied, dropping the currency in my wallet and holding it out for the man.

He emptied the wallet onto a scale. "Yes, that should be right. Here's your chain mail, your wallet, and your ticket." The dealer pulled a familiar-looking ticket from a jar.

_Flint, you said those were rare!_ I accused.

I got the mental picture of a blush. _They were the last time I was on Weyard!_

I rolled my eyes and took my purchases and wallet. Garet paid for some chain mail of his own.

Mia was waiting for us at the weapon stall. In her hand she held a rod, clearly her new weapon of choice. "Are you two going to buy anything here?"  
I looked at Garet. He shook his head. I mimicked the gesture. "I guess we're both out of money."

Mia rolled her eyes. "What did you two buy? Lady Layana gave us all a ton of coins!"  
"Well," Garet started, "we both pitched in for the herbs."  
"But you two were asleep!" she exclaimed.

"Ivan asked us last night," Garet explained.

"All right. But you still should have had at least three thousand left!"

I gave her a strange look. "You're right. But I didn't even have two thousand."

Garet shrugged. "I had two thousand and fifty."

"Someone stole our money! A thief!" I declared.

Mia frowned. "But why you two, and not Ivan and-hey! I had six thousand last night..."  
"How'd you get so much?" Garet demanded.

"I did some healing back in Vault," she explained. "But anyway, I had six thousand, and I bought this for three thousand eight hundred. Now I have around two thousand. The extra two hundred is gone!"

My eyes widened. "But what about Ivan?"  
Mia shrugged. "I don't know. But here he comes now. You can ask him."

I looked up. Sure enough, the young Jupiter Adept was striding toward us. He was holding four hats made of mail. "Hello!" he called.

"Ivan, some money was missing from our wallets," I started.

He cut me off. "That was me."  
"You?!" we all repeated.

Ivan nodded. "Yes. I didn't have enough money myself for all of these mail caps so I borrowed just as much as I needed. I'm sorry...I just wanted to surprise everyone."  
I was starting to recover from the shock. "It's all right," I assured him. "Don't worry about it." I took a mail cap from him. It fitted my head perfectly. "Thanks!"

The others followed my lead, murmuring "Thank you,".

Ivan grinned. "Now, I'll show you the rest of Kalay!"

Ivan proceeded to show us the grand tour of Kalay, promising that we'd revisit the palace for a tour of there afterward. He even led us to a secret cave.

Motioning for us to follow, he slipped into the narrow passageway. Enetering, I saw the water that poured down...and a Mars Djinni!

"How do we get over there?" I asked Ivan.

He smiled. "That's a drain. All you need to do is block the flow of water."  
So I pushed a statue in the way and we continued over to the Mars Djinni. She (or I think it was a she) smiled at us.

"You must be Adepts. I'm Scorch."  
"Hi, Scorch!" Quartz flung herself at the Djinni happily. "Heard any news?"  
"No. I haven't even heard from Ember! And she calls herself my best friend!" Scorch glared at the wall in a very Jenna-like way.

Garet must have been thinking that, too, for he nudged me and whispered, "It reminds me of Jenna."

"I _heard_ that! And I'm a _she_, not an _it!_" Scorch shouted.

Pop! "Hi, Scorch, great to see you, how's it going?" greeted Flint in his squeaky voice.

Pop! "S-scorch?" wondered Sap. "Um, hello, Scorch."

Pop! "Scorch! Hi!" exclaimed Granite.

Pop! "Hey, Scorch! It's you!" Vine yelled.

Pop! Pop! Pop! "Oh, it's Scorch." grumped Forge.

"Achoo! Hi, Scorch!" Fever sneezed weakly.

"Hi, Scorch!"

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

"Scorch, are you going to join these virtuous knights on their perilous quest?" Gust wanted to know.

"Hmph. At least it's not a Venus Djinni." sniffed Breeze.

"I don't trust her," remarked Zephyr.

"I do hope you have more sense than to join this hopeless mission. Don't," Smog advised.

"Who? Torch?" Kite wondered.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

Fizz started sobbing tears of joy.

"Shut up," Sleet said crabbily.

Mist yawned. "Let's get this over with."  
"You're a warrior Djinni, aren't you?"

I took a few steps back, nearly falling off the platform. How many did this make? I started counting. Including Scorch, there were exactly eighteen Djinn. I felt dizzy.

"Eighteen," muttered Ivan. "Eighteen!"

Scorch considered. "I'll join you." she decided.

Forge groaned. "No, no, no..."  
"Not another word out of you unless you want to become toast!" Scorch threatened.

I rolled my eyes. Eighteen Djinn...


	37. Money Matters

Disclaimer: I still do not own Golden Sun.

A/N: By the way, sorry, everyone, for the delay for the last chapters.

Lord Destroyer, yeah, I did come across her. Oh, and did you notice the Steamshipping/Flameshipping hint Garet's grandfather gives off? "Hmm...I wonder who Garet likes better...Jenna or this girl?" LOL! I hate heights, too. Thanks for all your reviews!

"Hello, how may I help you?" asked the woman.

We were at the Kalay docks, ready to board the ship to Tolbi. The boat was scheduled to set off in half an hour.

"We'd like four boat tickets, please." I replied.

"Four? That comes up to...six hundred coins."

I looked at her in dismay and turned to my companions. "Do we have enough?"

Ivan shook his head. "Altogether, we have two hundred and fourty-nine coins."

Garet looked upset. "But we _have_ to go!"

"I know, Garet," I answered, trying to keep my snappishness in check. "But what do we do?"  
Ivan fidgeted. "I have an idea...it would not be very trustworthy, though..."

"What is it?" Garet demanded.

At the same moment, Mia shook her head. "We _can't_!"

Garet looked hurt. "I wasn't planning on going along with it!"

I stepped in. "Let's hear it, just to be safe."

Ivan kept fidgeting, shifting from foot to foot and pulling at strands of his pale blonde hair. "Well...Garet could call Fever to come out, and the lady would catch a cold. And then..."  
"I could heal her." Mia finished. "Definitely not."  
Ivan did something very un-Ivanlike just then. He glared at her. I stiffened. This felt like the Lamakan all over again. "Mia, it was just an idea!"

"Wait, everyone." Garet ordered. He was standing by the window. "Look."

We clustered around.

"A Djinni!" I gasped. "A Venus Djinni!"

We were out the door in a flash. Unfortunately, the landslide that blocked Silk Road blocked the Djinni from us.

_Flint! Flint! I need you!_

Flint appeared promptly. "Ground!" he squeaked in delight. "It's you!"

"Who's there?" Ground wondered.

"Flint, your brother!"

Oh, no! Flint had a brother! My worst nightmare! I covered my face in my hands. "NO!" I wailed. "Noooooooooooooo..."

Ivan patted me sympathetically. Then he froze. "What if...what if there's another one like Gust?"  
His terror was so real I couldn't help it. I started laughing.

"Flint!" Ground shouted, bringing me back to the horrible reality. "I can't reach you!"

Flint considered for a moment. "We're going across the sea. We should be able to get to you then."  
I breathed a sigh of relief. The dreaded moment was delayed, at least for a little while.

"All right! See ya!" Ground called after us. Flint set himself once more.

"We're still in the same mess we were." Mia complained.

A grin spread across Ivan's face. "Maybe not. What just happened gave me an idea."  
"What? Hold out Flint and make them pay us for him to shut up?" Garet asked skeptically.

"No, nothing like that. I just...remembered something. A favor long owed to me. Back in Kalay." Ivan explained, heading back to the city. "I'll be right back."

Five minutes later, he returned, holding a box of coins. He dumped the load of currency onto the counter. The clerk shoveled it over to her side greedily and handed us four boat tickets.

"Tell us," I demanded as soon as we'd left the building. "How on Weyard did you get _that_?"

Ivan smiled a secretive smile. "Like I said, a favor."

No matter how much the three of us questioned, he refused to elaborate, and so we had to board the ship before it sailed off without us.

We passed a woman as we were heading up to the ship. "You're boarding the ship, right?"  
I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."  
"Well, if you see a young woman waiting for her parents, tell her that her mother says the tickets were too expensive," she requested.

"No problem," Garet agreed.

We showed the man our tickets and boarded the ship. People were clustered in little groups, chattering excitedly about Tolbi. I managed to catch some snippets of conversation.

"-yes, Babi, he's supposed to be quite strange-"

"-I'm going to win!-"

"I wonder what could have happened." wondered a deep voice. It was who I guessed to be the captain. He was speaking to two sailors, one with a blue bandanna and one with a deep red beard.

"You mean you still intend to cross this dangerous sea?" Blue Bandanna asked incredulously.

"It would be too big a loss to let so many passengers get away," the captain figured sensibly.

Blue Bandanna turned to Red Beard. "Say, Kaja, how are the oarsmen doing?"

Kaja winked. "They're fearless. There's no problem there. It's just that..."  
"'It's just that'...what?" the captain demanded.

Kaja gulped. "If a whole bunch of...you know...appear when we're crossing...I won't be able to handle them alone."

The captain didn't seemed worried. "You'll have to. I can't waste anyone else to fight."  
"It's not wasting!" Kaja protested.

"The oarsmen will have their hands full rowing," continued the captain. "There's nothing we can do...let's set sail!"

The other sailor turned pale. "What do you mean? If we set sail now, we'll never make it to Tolbi!"  
"We'll be fine," the captain assured them confidently. "We have an amulet protecting us, don't forget!"  
"Amulet?" repeated Kaja. "You mean your little anchor thing?"

"The 'little anchor thing' has always protected us!"

"Get ahold of yourself!" the sailor with the blue bandanna ordered. "You're a captain! You should be better than foolish superstitions!"

The captain looked angry, but he spoke calmly. "Even if we can't find fighters, this charm will protect us. Now, let's hurry up! Prepare to set sail!"

The three headed off in different directions. I exchanged a glance with the others and we stumbled into the passenger deck. Two warriors were arguing with one of the tour guides from the inn in Kalay.

"That's it!" one of the warriors cried finally. Followed by the guide and the other warrior, he stomped out of the quarters. "I'm going to see the captain about this!"

"We better go there," I suggested. The others nodded, and we headed toward the captain's quarters.

A/N: Very short. I know. But I need a new chapter for a fresh thought.


	38. The Missing Anchor

Disclaimer: Like always, I don't own Golden Sun.

"You're trying to launch the ship?" the man named Kaja demanded. We'd reached the captain's quarters. The tour guide, Kaja, the captain, the two warriors, and the other sailor were clustered together. I sneaked a little closer and motioned for the others to follow.

"We can't set sail in a dangerous sea!" Kaja protested.

The warrior dressed in red glared at him dangerously. "_What_ was that?"

The tour guide paled, clearly afraid of a fight. "We don't care about that! We paid our money, and now you have to launch the ship!"

"But the captain decided to set sail just a second ago," Kaja informed them. Garet opened his mouth and Mia promptly covered it.

The gray turbaned warrior seemed pleased. "We're setting off?"

"Yes," declared the captain. "Preparations are being made right now."

The second warrior turned to the first. "Perhaps we were a bit rash."

The other nodded. "Yes. We should not have been so quick to rush up here."  
"Please, launch the ship when you're ready," agreed the tour guide.

The second warrior and the tour guide drew closer to us and I snuck further behind the jars. I didn't want them to know we'd been eavesdropping.

But I shouldn't have worried just yet. The red warrior had qualms of his own. "Dangerous sea..." he murmured uneasily. "It's dangerous out there! Is that why you wouldn't launch the ship?"

"Yes, the sea's dangerous. Of course the sea's dangerous. Especially with these monsters."  
I heard Mia give a start next to me, and I'm sure the same thought was running through all four of our minds. Monsters? Like the talking mouse and the living statues?

The tour guide paled further. "M-monsters, you say?"

"Lately, we've been sighting creatures never before seen in the Karagol," reported Kaja.

"Dangerous ones?" the gray warrior wanted to know.

"Actually, some even came onboard the ship and attacked the crew," the captain admitted.

The tour guide's eyes were wide. "That _is_ dangerous!"

"We suspect that our replacement ship might have been attacked," Kaja continued.

The red warrior drew himself up proudly. "With such dangerous creatures around, you might need warriors."

Garet poked me. "Should we volunteer?"

I hesitated. Something in me warned against it. "Not just yet."

"It certainly is dangerous, but the ship is okay," The captain sounded sure of himself. "After all, we-"

The red warrior cut him off. "If there are monsters, I'll be glad to help out."

Kaja looked surprised. "Really?" I remembered that he had been the one commissioned to fight.

The red warrior nodded solemnly.

"Hey, Ouranos, I thought-" the gray warrior started.

Ouranos turned to face his companion. "We have to make it to Tolbi for Colosso!"

He didn't look convinced. "That's true, but..."

"Hey, maybe you could give us a hand, too, Sean!" Ouranos suggested, closing the subject.

Sean didn't look enthusiastic, but he nodded.

"Really?" repeated Kaja. "Are you really going to help out?"

Ouranos looked a little angry. "I'm a man of my word," he declared. "If I said I'll help, I'll help!"

Kaja smiled for the first time I'd seen. "With you guys helping me to keep the deck safe, the ship should be okay."

The captain smiled impatiently. "So can we set off now?"

"No," Kaja declared. "We need someone to protect the oarsmen."

Garet jabbed me again. I nodded, and we snuck out of our hiding places and into the crowd.

But before the captain could notice us, he casually slipped a hand on the wheel. He gasped. "It's gone! It's vanished!"  
Everyone's heads turned and Mia and Ivan joined us in the crowd.

Kaja and the captain scuttled over to the wheel. "The anchor charm!"

"The anchor..." muttered Ouranos. "That good luck charm?"

Sean snorted. "Oh, that. What's the big deal? It's just an old trinket."

The captain spun angrily. "What do you mean, 'Oh, that,' ?!" he demanded. "That anchor's been keeping my ship safe for _years_!"

The tour guide spoke up. "It's just decorative, right?"

"Even if we find some warriors, we won't make it without the anchor. We're not leaving!"

The stunned silence began to ring with angry protests.

"But you said we were leaving!" Sean shouted.

"What about our money?" demanded the tour guide.

"We'll never make it to Tolbi!"

"That was when I thought we still had the anchor!" he shouted. "The ship doesn't leave until we find it."

The sailor standing next to us began muttering. "What's the problem? We've got warriors to help us! Maybe..."

He glared and stopped muttering when he saw us staring. "What are you looking at, kid?" he demanded of Ivan.

"Nothing!" Ivan backed away and tugged at us. We exited the captain's quarters. "I think that sailor knows more then he's letting on."  
I nodded. "I think he took it. But where'd he hide it?"  
"And how will we find out?" Mia wondered.

Ivan smiled grimly. "Mind reading."

A few minutes later, the sailor left the captain's quarters. I signaled to Garet. "Do you have any idea where it is?" I began.

"What?" the sailor demanded, not even realizing that Ivan was sneaking up behind him.

"The anchor, of course!" Garet explained.

By this time Ivan was reading his mind. "Of course I don't!"

Ivan winked. I nodded, and all four of us headed up to the crow's nest, as the sailors called it. Sure enough, the anchor charm was dangling precariously along the edge.

Mia stooped down and scooped it up. We trooped down the ladder again, and I was very glad to be down on the deck again.

"I wouldn't go up there every day if you paid me a thousand coins each time," I thought aloud.

Mia looked at me strangely. "Why?"

I realized she was the only one who didn't know my secret. Ivan knew, from mind reading me, and Garet knew because we'd grown up together. Jenna knew, of course. So did Felix.

"I'm, um, a little..." I started.

Garet helped me. "He's afraid of heights."

Mia nodded. "Oh,"

We walked over to the captain and Mia shyly handed him the anchor.

"It's my lucky anchor!" I was sure that the people in _Xian_ could hear his joyful cry. "You found the charm!"

"Where was it?" Kaja demanded.

"In the crow's nest," Garet answered automatically.

Meanwhile, the captain was stammering. "I...I don't know what to say...thank you! Now we can set sail!"

"Boy, that's a relief!" declared the guide. "Now we can set sail!"  
Sean shook his head. "Not just yet..."

"What?" demanded Ouranos.

"We need someone to protect the oarsmen." Sean answered.

The captain chuckled. "You look like you have someone in mind."

"Yes, I do, in fact," Sean agreed.

"Who?" Ouranos asked.

Now was the time for us to step forward.

"Those warriors!" Sean declared, dramatically pointing to the four of us.

The tour guide looked skeptical. "But they're just children!"  
"They may look young, but each of them is a force to be reckoned with." Sean promised. How did he know? I wondered. We barely knew him.  
"I can't argue with that," the captain agreed. "How about it?"  
I held my head high, trying to live up to Sean's expectations. "Of course."

"We can finally set sail!" the captain cheered.

"The ship is taking off?" the tour guide exclaimed eagerly.

Then the captain got a faraway look in his eye. "One more thing. I need some volunteers to help with the rowing...just in case."

"What?" The tour guide sounded outraged. "You're going to ask the passengers to row the ship?"

"The ship won't move without oarsmen," the captain reminded him. Then he turned back to us. "You know, come to think of it, I don't know your names. Do you care to tell me?"

I nodded. "I am Isaac, of Vale."

"Garet, also of Vale." Garet added.

"Ivan of Kalay," Ivan greeted.

Mia curtseyed politely. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Mia of Imil."

"Ah. Isaac and company, I'm looking forward to working with you." He gave a slight bow and we started off toward our new, temporary job.


	39. A New Job

Disclaimer: I obviously still don't own Golden Sun.

"Our replacement never arrived, but we're shoving off just the same," announced Kaja. We were down with the rowers, a burly-looking bunch of men in green and red bandannas.

"What about the sea monsters?" one of them, wearing a green bandanna, asked. "Who's going to protect the ship?"

"That'll be me, Ouranos, and Sean on deck, and..." He turned to us, prompting.

"Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia protecting all of you," I answered.

Another green bandanna snickered. "They're just kids! Do you think we can really depend on 'em?"

Garet glared at them indignantly and started to say something. Mia shushed him.

Kaja smiled, seeing their antics. "Yes, Isaac and his friends have seen more combat then I have. There's nothing to worry about with them."  
One sailor wearing a red bandanna winked at us. "I trust your judgement, Kaja."

"And what will you do if any of you becomes incapacitated?" Kaja demanded.

The first sailor looked unsure. "I don't know!"

"A passenger will help row the ship," he supplied. The rowers didn't look convinced. Hastily, Kaja assured them, "Don't worry about it! I had a word with the passengers."

The second green bandanna thought about this for a moment. "Wait a minute...who'll give the order?"

"Good point..." Kaja looked thoughtful. "Isaac, you and your crew should select the replacements."  
I exchanged a look with the others. Garet didn't look thrilled. Ivan seemed thoughtful. Mia smiled when I caught her eye. "Yes, sir."

"Rowing requires teamwork," piped up another red bandanna-wearing rower. "Be sure to balance the two teams." How could we do that, I thought, when we don't know your strength?

"That's right," agreed the first green bandanna to speak. "If we're not balanced, we won't make much progress."

Kaja nodded. "I trust you'll all do your best."  
He left, climbing the stairs, and motioned for us to do the same. "If the rowers call, you rush down there as fast as you can, okay?"

I could feel the ship begin to take off as we settled in the passenger deck. Ivan immediately began chattering to the Sanctum healer onboard. Mia wandered off to talk to the cook, leaving Garet and me leaning against the wall.

My stomach lurched. The steady rocking of the boat didn't bode well for my lunch. A few minutes into the queasy ride, I heard a sound of someone yelling from above. I tensed, ready despite my sickening feelings to rush down the steps if it was a monster.

"Arrgh!" That was the cry that signaled us. Without a glance at the others, I dashed down the steps.

"Monsters belowdecks!" someone cried.

Three strange monsters, slimy, similar to ones we'd met in caves before, were lined up on one side. A fallen rower lay collapsed, and the remaining sailors were lined up on the other side. A sailor with chattering teeth cried out, "Isaac! Take care of these beasts and save my mates!"

The four of us dashed forth as one.

"Garet, do Fever!"

We didn't know how tough these things were. Flint popped up next to me to be my adviser. "Sap!"  
I gave him a strange look. "Sap? He's scared of his own shadow!"  
"Just do it!" he urged.

_Sap?_

_Y-you want m-me to _fight The Djinni sounded incredulous. A second later he zipped out and attacked the middle monster. It collapsed easily. Strangely, I could feel my strength returning. "You were great!" I called out. "Ivan, um...Smog!"

"Oh, my, a ship," he said dully. "It'll crash and hit the rocks for sure, or get pillaged by-"  
"Smog! Just attack already!" I shouted. The Djinni complied, blinding one of the monsters. It hissed and slipped forward. It grasped Mia in its tentacles...

"Get your hands off her!" Garet yelled, bringing his heavy axe down on the roots of the tentacles. It shrieked and slid out of the ship on an oar, surrendering.

The remaining one slithered over to me and let loose a putrid-smelling goo onto me. It seeped into me painfully. "Sleet," I barely whispered out.

But Mia heard. Grumbling, Sleet attacked the monster, ending the battle.

I gasped and collapsed. Mia rushed to my side. "Ply!" she nearly shouted. I felt some of my health being restored. "And cure the poison!" I felt Psynergy leave her.

Amazed, I looked up. "You couldn't do that before!"  
She smiled. "I figured it was worth a try. I...sort of...I lost Nyunpa's ring. I realized it when we were on the passenger deck."

I nodded. "I'm sure glad you just got that in time."

"Hey, are you okay?" Kaja called.

I sat up. Garet and Ivan were leaning against the wall, breathing hard. Mia got up to join them and I stumbled to my feet. "I'm fine."

Kaja glanced around the room. "We're missing an oarsman!" He rushed over to the unconscious man and scooped him up like he weighed no more than a baby. "Isaac, go ask a passenger to row, okay?"  
I nodded. Back on the passenger deck, we moved from person to person. The woman who'd first told me of Tolbi laughed. "You're not seriously considering making _me_ an oarsman, are you?"  
I shrugged. "It depends."

"I found someone!" Garet called. He was standing next to a red-haired young man. The four of us stepped down the stairs again.

The man unhappily took his place among the oarsmen, and Kaja, Mia, Garet, Ivan, and I climbed the stairs again. I felt the ship lurch off again, and I sat on a box, trying to calm my stomach.

I poked Ivan, next to me. "Do you have a book?"  
He shrugged. "I've already read it. Here," Ivan handed me the book.

I took it gratefully, thanked him, and began reading.

_The History of Tolbi_, the title read.

I opened the first page. _Tolbi was founded around one hundred and fifty years ago, by Lord Babi._ Babi...wasn't he the lord now? But that was impossible! The current one must be a descendant. It must be a family name, I assured myself.

_Tolbi is famous for its games, including the Lucky Slots, which takes the famous and once rare game tickets that can also be used in Contigo. _Contigo? That was where Ivan was from!

_Another famous game is the Lucky Springs. _Is everything lucky there? _You throw coins or still-rare lucky medals into the pool to win money and prizes. _Sounds good!

_Dice is another popular game in Tolbi. Toss 'em! Double, triple, or quadruple your money!_ Dice? What are they? I wondered.

_And of course, the famous Colosso. Tolbi is home of the greatest tournament ever, Colosso, king of all games. People from all over Gondowan and Angara come to see warriors solve puzzles with their wit and battle with their strength! For more on Colosso, turn to page 22._

_**Lord Babi**_

_Lord Babi was born in places unknown, in a year he refuses to reveal, on the first of February. He personally started Colosso. Babi is known for his love of games and tournaments. _

_Rumors declare that Babi never grows any older. This cannot be confirmed. _Never grows any older?

_Babi was the youngest of seven children. All of his six older siblings, five sisters and one brother, are now deceased. Not much is known about his childhood, but in his younger years he traveled all over Weyard!_

_Lord Babi has an obsessive interest in Alchemy. _Interest in Alchemy? Never grows older? Might he be an Adept? The Stone of the Sages provides eternal life...

_Babi has alchemists from all over Weyard working tirelessly on finding the Stone of the Sages._ _He has taken a few orphaned children under his wing in hope they will become alchemists for him. One such child was..._

I squinted. The name of the child was blurred by an ink stain. I poured a little water from my canteen onto my finger and rubbed it over the name. It cleared the first letter. "K".

"Arrgh!" Sighing, I put the book down and raced down the steps once more.

A/N: I'd really appreciate it if you'd just click the review button...


	40. The Kraken

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: Wow! 40 chapters, and they're not even to Tolbi yet! This is really turning into an epic! Wow!

_I was atop Venus Lighthouse, on the aerie. The entire lighthouse was swaying from side to side, like the motion of the sea. _

_A girl, not Jenna, one I didn't know, with pale blond hair and large purple eyes, was swaying back and forth along with it hypnotically._

_And then the sway turned to a quake. It shook violently and the girl toppled off, screaming._

I woke up with a jolt. The boat was still shaking. Ivan was already awake and alert, trying to wake Mia.

"I don't have time for this," I muttered, shaking the box beneath Garet with an earthquake.

We'd already fought off the earlier monsters and replaced the next unconscious man with the cook, and the next with another man. It had to be around midnight, I figured. What could be making this noise?

"What's wrong?" Mia wondered frantically. "The ship shouldn't be rocking this badly!"

"Isaac!" Kaja called, sticking his bald head through the door. "There's a huge sea monster on the ship!"

I motioned to the other three. "Ready?"

Garet and Mia nodded sleepily.  
Ivan shook his head. "I don't think we'll _ever_ be ready for something like...that. But..."

"Good, let's go." I interrupted, before he could get himself too pessimistic.

Ouranos and Sean lay unconscious-or at least, I hoped only unconscious-on the deck. We scrambled over them and over to a huge monster.

A huge pink thing with swollen, angry eyes and tentacles as wide as my arm, the sea monster looked like major trouble. I glanced at my companions. Garet looked confident. Ivan's eyes were wide and uncertain. Mia looked downright scared. She looked about how I felt.

Trying to sound like a leader, I shouted, "Garet, Scorch! Ivan, Gust! Mia, use some Psynergy!"

"Evil sea serpent, unhand these noble knights!" Gust cried. Ivan was too shaken to even groan.

_Flint! _I mentally summoned.

"Wahoooooo!" he shouted wildly.

The monster made a sloshing noise and rain pelted from the sky, mixed with bits of ice. It showered all four of us. In return, Mia drenched it with raining ice. It barely bothered the huge, evil monster.

Scorch spat water out of her mouth. "You're really starting to get me angry," she warned the monster. "You won't like me when I'm angry!" Letting out a cry, she shot like a meteor toward the creature.

Angry, it made a burbling noise like a baby. Freezing bubbles encircled us. I cut my way through mine and slashed at it with my sword. "Garet, use Psynergy! Ivan, Smog! Mia...heal someone! Ivan!"

"I've got a better idea!" she called back. "Wish!" Suddenly, I felt the freeze melt off. Mia looked quite pleased with herself. "It worked!"

"A kraken. You don't have a-"  
"Smog, get on with it!" I shouted, losing my patience. I slashed at the "kraken" some more. It blew out a thick cloud of dark mist.

Garet held his hands out. "Fireball!" A huge flaming ball shot out and scorched the kraken.

A tentacle lashed out and began to strangle Garet. I intervened, slicing the tentacle off neatly. "Fever! Ivan, Psynergy! Mia, attack!"  
"I need to heal Garet!" she shouted back urgently as Ivan cast some sort of storm Psynergy.

"I'll take care of that. Just do it!"

The kraken's tentacle regrew. I stared at it in horror. "Please let that be some sort of Psynergy and not something normal," I wished.

Spritz tottered by, healing more wounds. I glared daggers at Mia. "I said, attack!"

"Achoo!"

Her words were drowned out by the monster sneeze by Fever. I shrugged, and pictured Garet's wounds healed. I opened my eyes to see the Psynergy had worked. Unfortunately, the kraken had healed more of its injuries, too. At this rate, we'd still be fighting by dawn.

"Garet, summon! Same with you, Ivan! Mia, actually attack this time!" I concentrated. A familiar word tumbled out of my mouth. "Ragnarok!"

A huge sword fell from the sky. Deadly arrows rained from the same place. A dragon flew by, breathing flame. A tentacle was severed. Things were looking pretty good on our side.

A tentacle lashed out again to Garet. Again, I chopped it off. It breathed another cloud. Mia shouted, "Wish!"

"Garet, attack! Ivan, Psynergy! Mia, keep attacking!"

_Sap!_

_A-again?_ The timid Djinni replied.

"Th-that l-looks scary..." he muttered uneasily, but he stepped forward. Lightning bolts rained down upon the kraken. Again its tentacle lashed out. This time, a carefully placed lightning bolt stopped that. It healed itself again.

I was sweating hard. "Garet, Psynergy if Scorch or Fever's not back. Ivan, the same. Mia, Mist." In my mind, I pictured the stages of Ramses.

Another dark cloud. I crept closer in the darkness...and plunged my blade into the much-weakened monster.

Breathing hard, I returned to the others. Some sailors pushed the lifeless body off into the murky depths of the Karagol.

We returned to the passenger deck. I surveyed the candidates for an oarsmen who had gotten hurt. The two weak-looking tour guides, an old man, the healer, and three women. I mentally crossed off the old man and the healer. I walked over to the strongest of the guides.

"Will you row?" I asked him.

He paled. "Me? You-you must be joking!"  
I shook my head. "I mean it."

The tourist attempted a feeble laugh. "Good joke, kid."  
I shook my head again. "No, I mean it."

The guide bit his lip. "All right, fine."

I escorted him back down and returned to the others in the passenger deck. I felt the boat start to move again, and my stomach lurched again. I promptly collapsed onto the most comfortable barrel available. Garet had already dozed off again, Ivan was almost asleep, and Mia's eyelids were fluttering. I picked up the book again and began to read about Tolbi, but it became too much for me.

I leaned against the wall and slept for the remaining hours of darkness.

A/N: January 15th is my birthday, so why don't you wish me a happy one by reviewing?


	41. Flint's Brother

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Golden Sun.

I woke up gradually. The ship had stopped moving. Some of the passengers had already left. I shook Mia awake.

"Good..." she yawned, "morning." She proceeded to wake up Garet as I woke up Ivan.

Ivan was excited. "Finally! I get to see Tolbi!" I smiled, and the four of us exited the ship.

_Oh, this is great! I haven't seen Tolbi for a hundred years! _Flint squeaked. _Plus, we get to see Ground!_

My heart sank. No, no, no! I tried to hide my feelings from Flint, but it's sort of hard to hide things from an audience in your own head.

Flint took offense. _What? You think something's _wrong _with me? _

_No! _ I lied hastily, hoping the others wouldn't join in.

I felt a tap, and I turned around. The captain was standing there with a sack of coins. He handed it to me. "Five hundred coins," he said gruffly. "For you and your companions."  
I was speechless. "Um...thanks..." I stuttered out finally. The others were waiting around a few trees.

I held up the coins. Garet's eyes widened. I handed it to him wordlessly and we continued to Tolbi.

_Wait!_ Flint shouted mentally when we reached the entrance. _Ground!_

I groaned. I'd completely forgotten about Flint's brother.

"We have to go get Ground," I informed the others miserably, starting off.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, I heard a noise. I held out a hand, signaling to stop, and waited cautiously.

"Ha-_ha!_" the something declared. The next thing I knew, a blue blur had grasped hold of Garet's head!

Mia took action immediately, swiping at the thing with her sword. Angrily, it transferred to her head. Ivan hit it with the flat of his blade. It fell off, and immediately a freezing shower poured down over us.

I concentrated. _Ragnarok!_ I mentally uttered. The blue thing was pinned down by a giant sword. I drew nearer cautiously. It twitched. I leaned forward.

A Mercury Djinni! The Djinni wriggled some more. It was trapped.

"I'll get you!" it shouted angrily. "I may have to join you by the Rules, but I'll get you some day!"

It's cries awakened the rest of the Djinn. Mist crawled out sleepily. Fizz scuttled out, crying about mean Mars Djinn. Sleet grumbled. Spritz posed. Gust squealed. Breeze muttered. Zephyr eyed. Smog gloomily talked. Kite wondered. Scorch shouted. Laid-back Corona waved with her tail. Fever coughed. Forge muttered. Sap stuttered. Vine laughed. Quartz eagerly interviewed. Granite and Flint bounded up, chattering.

My eyes widened. Including Ground, this would make twenty Djinn! What would seventy-two be like?

"What rules?" Ivan asked curiously.

"_The_ Rules," the Djinni explained, explaining nothing.

"What are they?" he asked.

"Do you really want me to list you all four thousand of them?" the Mercury Djinni demanded.

Ivan's eyes widened. "_Four thousand_?" he repeated, sounding amazed.

"That's what I said. Don't be like Reflux. Stop repeating what I say." the Djinni snapped.

I could tell Ivan wanted to ask who Reflux was, but he restrained himself. Garet broke in. "What's your name?"  
The Djinni glared at him. "You're the one I attacked! Oh, I'll get you all one day! Hail!"  
"Hail what?" Garet repeated in bewilderment.

"Oh, no, all of you are Refluxes!" Hail snapped. "That's my name!"

"Pardon my asking...what do you do?" Mia asked in her sweetest voice.

Hail calmed down a little. "Finally, an Adept with some sense! I Freeze a foe to drop its defense."

Still talking in her calmest, most angelic voice, Mia requested, "Hail, would you please join us? Right away? We'll need your, um, supreme fighting skills."

The Djinni nodded curtly, which is hard to do when almost all you are is head. "Ha-_ha!_ I will destroy!"  
And with a poof, she was gone.

I blinked, watching the place where Hail had been. "A bit, um, enthusiastic, isn't she?" I remarked evasively, hoping the Djinni wouldn't pick up the hidden insult.

Mia nodded, rolling her eyes inconspicuously. "A bit."

Flint hopped over to me. "What are you waiting for? Isaac, c'mon! We've got to get Ground!"

My heart sank once more. The dreaded moment was drawing nearer. "All right. Um, all you other Djinn, go on set, please!"

Feeling like I was walking to my own execution, I followed Flint as he bounced around the Karagol. After what seemed like one second, we'd arrived. Ground bounced over to Flint joyfully. I tried not to scream. I glanced back at the others.

Garet was trying not to laugh. Mia had the same sort of look on her face. Ivan was shaking from silent laughter. I glared daggers-no, forget daggers-I glared _swords_ at them. "It's not funny," I hissed.

They looked apologetic, but I could tell they were still close to laughter. I rolled my eyes and returned them to the horrible sight.

Ground and Flint were chattering excitedly still, and now Quartz, Granite, and Vine had joined them.

"Ground, have you-", "Ha, ha!", "Ground, it's great to-", "Hey, Ground, old buddy!" the Djinn welcomed. I felt a little bad. Maybe Ground wasn't so bad after all.

Flint shushed the other Djinn, and Ground stood taller than the rest. "I'm really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really-"

After a hundred more "really"s, I took my earlier thought back.

"Really, really glad to be here," Ground finished finally. "And it's great to see you, Flint, and you, Granite. Quartz, Vine-" the Mars Djinn joined them, "Forge, Fever, Corona, Scorch, Gust, Breeze, Zephyr-" How did he remember all those names? "Smog, Kite, Fizz, Sleet, Mist, Spritz, and Hail, I'm glad to see you guys, too."  
"Or girls!" Scorch and Hail put in loudly.

"Or girls," Ground amended. "And now, I'll tell you all about my journey here. Flint, you absolutely _must_ tell me what happened so far, too!"

I groaned and sat on the ground. This was going to take awhile.

A/N: Recently it was my birthday. Give me a belated birthday present-review! Yes, constructive criticism is accepted.


	42. Fun and Games

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

"My goodness," breathed Ivan, looking around. I had to admit, Tolbi _was_ amazing. It was huge!

He dashed toward the Lucky Springs in a manner that reminded me of Kraden. Kraden...Jenna...

I pushed my thoughts of my best friend out of my mind. We were on our way to help her. She'd be okay.

I heard a clanking noise. The other three were clustered around the Lucky Springs. Ivan was holding his hand out like he'd just thrown something. I saw the medal we'd gained earlier laying in the center of the target. I raced over just as a stone dragon head slid out.

Its jaws opened. Ivan tenderly lifted his prize out, a thin saber in a blood red sheath. He unsheathed it gently, marvelling at it. Then he buckled the sword belt around him. Holding up his previous weapon, he called, "Um, could someone sell this at the weapon shop?"  
Mia grabbed it. "I'll do it." She looked at the three of us, a smile tickling the edges of her lips. "But I think what you boys need is more clothes."

I looked guiltily down at my torn, stained garments. You could see my chain mail peeking through the rips in my tunic. "But-"

"All three of you are coming with me," she said firmly.

I sighed and we were dragged over to the clothes maker. Ivan slipped off after he was newly shod with a purple garment to places unknown. I stayed helplessly, sharing a look with Garet.

As soon as we we were done, Ivan reappeared, holding a sack of money. Mia sent him a disapproving glance. "How did you get that?"

Ivan blushed. "The dice. Only with my money!"

He walked over to the herb stall. "I heard that you sell game tickets," he remarked innocently.

She nodded. "Fifty coins apiece."  
Ivan fidgeted. "How many?"  
The herb seller grinned, knowing she was reeling in a big profit. "Twenty-eight. If you buy them all, I'll give them to you for a discount! Half off, how about that? I'll throw in a lucky medal!"

Ivan nodded. "Sounds great." He dumped his newly acquired money on the desk.

She handed him his purchases and he raced out the door again. I smiled and dashed after him. I wasn't about to miss out on Tolbi.

Garet, still getting his clothes fitted, stayed helplessly. When I reached the pool, Ivan was already cradling his prize, a silk "kimono" like they wore in Xian. He jumped when he saw me watching. "Here, will you take this to Mia?"  
I nodded, and almost ran into Garet as he dashed out of the shop.

"Here," I panted, dropping the kimono into Mia's arms. I started off again.

As I left, I was amazed to see Mia was following me. I looked at her skeptically. "I thought you didn't approve of gambling."  
She blushed. "Someone has to keep an eye on you three to be sure you don't spend all your money!"

When we found Ivan and Garet, they were playing off their game tickets.

Ivan looked angry after spinning the wheel several times. "No luck!" He entered another ticket. "Yes!" he cheered. I heard a rattling noise, and his prize slid out the slot. He scooped up the red ring in his hands.

"Good going," the girl at the counter said admiringly. "A war ring!"  
Ivan slipped it on his finger and entered another ticket. Garet elbowed him out of the way. "It's my turn!"

I listened with interest. "Yes! Another ring!" he crowed, slipping the golden ring on his finger.

"How does that work?" I asked, curious.

Ivan showed me. "You enter the ticket here, then line up these. Get the right ones in a row-get a prize!" He entered another ticket. "You try."

I pulled the lever. Five symbols lined up on the machine. Two stars, a moon, a ring, and a boot.

"The moon is a wild card," Ivan helped. "The other symbols stand for what they look like."  
I press the buttons on the stars and moon and pulled the lever again. Another star, plus a heart, lined up in the remaining two places. I locked the star in place and pulled the lever once more. A boot. Again. A heart. The last time. A boot again.

"Too bad," the girl at the counter said sympathetically.

"That was fun!" I exclaimed.

Mia unexpectedly took a ticket from Ivan and moved up. "Let me try."

After the remaining turns, the four of us won "Quick Boots", two silk shirts, two vials of blue liquid, "Hyper Boots", two green jars of liquid, a mythril undershirt, two star-shaped crystals, fur boots, some more Water of Life, and a few more of those nasty elixirs.

I looked down at our pile of "treasure". Ivan was already slipping on the fur boots and Mia was trying on the "Hyper Boots". Garet grabbed the "Quick Boots", and I leaned down and snatched the mythril undershirt. I excused myself and found a private place to change.

When I returned, one of the silk shirts were gone and most of the other items had been stashed in packs. I grabbed a crystal, an elixir, and a blue vial.

"What do we do with the other silk shirt?" Mia wondered. "It's too big for any of you, and I don't think I need an extra."

I shrugged. "Sell it?"

"I'll do it!" Ivan volunteered. He took the shirt from Mia and zoomed out the door.

I led the way back out of the shop. And then Mia spotted something unexpected.

"A Mars Djinni!" she gasped. Sure enough, another small red Djinni was sitting atop a hill. Garet started climbing.

"Wait," I cautioned. "It may want to fight us. Let's wait until Ivan comes back."

After a couple more minutes, Ivan returned. He immediately noticed the Djinni and began climbing.

When we reached it, Forge popped out immediately. "Ember!"

Quartz followed him, muttering something about an exclusive story. Out came Flint. Ground. Granite. Vine.

"Oh, hi...what was your name again?" Ember asked indifferently.

"Forge!" he exclaimed in his normal annoyed tone.

"Oh, right, Gorge. Quartz!" Ember exclaimed excitedly.

The female Djinni joined the two. "_Em_-ber, I just can't believe it!" Quartz gushed.

"Another Djinni! Hurray!" cried Flint and Ground in perfect unison.

"Hurray!" echoed Granite.

Vine snickered. "Hurray!"

"M-more Djinn?" Sap questioned.

"Achoo! Oh, hey, Ebber." Fever greeted. "Greadt do see you agid."

"Hey, Ember."

"Corona!" Ember exclaimed. "How are you?" The Djinni didn't wait for an answer. "Has, um, Gorge...I mean, Forge...been bothering you? He's terribly annoying."

"Ember, why didn't you even talk to me?" Scorch demanded.

"Scorch! Those Mercury Djinn haven't been bothering you, have they?" Ember asked in a worried tone. "I mean, Hail and Fizz...speak of Tiamat! There they are! Hi!"

Fizz started sobbing. "Ember, I'm so glad you're here! You'll stop that mean old Forge, won't you?"  
"I thought it was Flash you had a problem with," Ember remarked, not sounding concerned.

Fizz sobbed even harder. "Don't even say that name!"  
"Oh, come on, Fizz, Flash isn't that bad!" Scorch protested.

"Join our band of courageous knights!" Gust requested.

"Hmph." Breeze remarked.

"Ember seems...different," Zephyr muttered.

"Gust, don't bother." Smog fluttered over to her. "Ember'll get killed or something and then Forge will stay and mourn for her and Flash'll stay with him and Scorch with him and Corona with-"

"But they must join! For lo! they are great and powerful Adepts!"  
"Not as powerful as me!" Hail declared. "Because-"

"Oh, hi, Ember." Mist yawned. "How are you doing?"

"Where's the next lighthouse?"

"Are you a warrior?"

"Not so many questions!" Ember shouted, though she clearly enjoyed the attention. "I'm a healing Djinni-I restore Psynergy with passion's flames!"

Breeze blinked. "Oookay..."

I looked up at the darkening sky. "Maybe you should join us, Ember?" I suggested. "As in, now? It's almost suppertime at the inn."  
Ember sniffed. "Of course," she said in a tone that suggested that she was doing us a favor. "I shall."  
And with a poof, every single Djinni disappeared and we continued to the inn.

A/N: I know people are reading this. I know most people aren't reviewing this. Be different. Review.


	43. Lord Babi is Missing!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: Mikey, thanks for reviewing, and thanks for the idea! DarkJupiterAdept, thanks for reviewing!

Lord Destroyer, yes, the reference is really in there. Just talk to Garet's grandfather. I didn't even notice the thing with Sean until this replay, and I've already played it twice. I bet Isaac will be surprised. I didn't intentionally level everyone up...maybe I was just lucky or something. Is Isaac really your slowest? On most of my plays, it's Garet. Ivan, Isaac, monster, Mia, monster, Garet, sometimes monster again. And the dream about Sheba...I really don't know why I did that. But when I think about it, it fits in, because Jupiter Adepts _used_ to live in Vale, according to Ivan's book. So maybe Isaac has some Jupiter Adept blood in the family...

"Wake up! Isaac, wake up!"  
I blinked. Ivan's face swam into view.

"The preliminaries are today!" he exclaimed, sounding excited.

"For what?" I asked sleepily.

Ivan made an exasperated noise. "Colosso, of course! We've _got _to see them!"  
I yawned. Ivan had recently been reminding me of Flint. "Ivan, what time is it?" I demanded, trying to see behind him to the window. "Is the sun even up yet?"

Ivan shuffled his feet. "No..."  
"Wake me up later!" I shouted, covering my head with the luxury silk pillow. His protests faded away as I fell into slumber once more.

_I blinked and sat up. I had a strange feeling. It drove me out of bed and up to the machines above the inn. Jenna was in there. _

_Her auburn hair shone. I rushed to her, but just as I was about to reach her..._

_She turned into Saturos. I glared at him angrily. "What did you do to her?!"  
"Jenna?" he asked innocently. "Oh, yes, the girl. She slipped into the sea. Her brother tried to save her, but it was just too late!"_

_"No!" I screeched. "Nooo..."  
_"No! No..." I stopped. The others were clustered around, staring at me.

"Are you okay?" Garet asked, concern showing in his voice.

"I'm fine." I assured them. "Just a nightmare..."

"What about?" Mia wanted to know.

I bit my lip. I didn't really want to let the rest of them know my dream, but I didn't want to lie, either. "It doesn't matter," I answered.

Ivan sent me a look that meant he didn't believe me, but Garet bought my story. The three of them left me to dress and get ready.

I slipped my boots on with shaking fingers. I forced them to stay still. Just because I dreamed it didn't mean it was true. It was just a silly dream.

I shuddered again. I knew this feeling couldn't be repaired until I saw Jenna safe and sound again.

I went into the dining room to meet the others. They were waiting at a table, but they already seemed to have eaten.

"Aren't you hungry?" Mia asked when I led the way out.

I shook my head. My dream had left me with no appetite.

"This is about your dream, isn't it?" Ivan inquired.

I gritted my teeth. "I don't want to talk about it."

Garet shrugged. "Well, then, let's go!"

We climbed the wide steps to the grand arch, but two soldiers dashed through.

"Hey, have you seen anyone who looks like this?" one asked breathlessly as the other held up a painting.

The man in the picture looked stern, with expensive robes. His hair was gray. I shared a glance with the others. "I haven't."  
"Neither have I," Ivan put in.

Garet looked at Mia. "I haven't either. And you haven't, have you?"  
She shook her head. "No. I'm sorry."

One soldier looked at the other. He shrugged. "Where on Weyard's Babi? He doesn't seem to be here..." They raced off.

I shook my head. "Babi? As in, _Lord _Babi?"  
"Lord Babi?" repeated Garet.

"The ruler of Tolbi!" Ivan answered, sounding exasperated.

Garet shrugged. "Never heard of him."  
Giving up, Ivan started through the grand arch. The three of us ran to catch up with him. But he turned around, shaking his head. "It's the palace."

I shrugged. "Well, why not explore? Those guards aren't guarding the entrance! It must be open to the public!"

Garet grinned. "A real palace!"  
Meanwhile, Mia was pushing open the ornate door. We followed.

"Whoa..." Garet breathed.

The palace was certainly grand. Staircases lay everywhere. Jade covered the ground. A stone statue of Lord Babi stood proudly near the back.

Garet dashed up the stairs excitedly. We followed him down the halls. Suddenly, the tall Mars Adept stopped. I struggled to see over his shoulder to discover why.

He moved over and I managed to spot a dark haired man walking briskly down the halls. A voice called after him, "Iodem, Iodem!"

The man turned. Two soldiers rushed over to Iodem.

"We went to Altmiller Cave as you commanded," one of them told him.

"And what have you?" he demanded. "What news is there of Babi?"

Two helmeted heads slowly shook from side to side.

Iodem sighed. "This is futile..."

"Iodem, why did you send us to look for Lord Babi in a place like that?" wondered the other.

Iodem looked confused. "I do not understand."  
"Why would Lord Babi enter such a dangerous cave alone?" asked one. "It's..."  
"Inconcievable?" finished Iodem, the ends of his lips curling in a wry smile. "Is that what you were going to say?"

One of them gulped loudly. "Y-yes."

"It's an evil place," agreed the other. "If Lord Babi went there alone...well, the monsters..."

Iodem cut him off. "I'm aware of Altmiller Cave's...eccentricities."

"You knew?" one said incredulously. "Then why did you send us there?"

Iodem spoke in a low tone, his dark eyes darting from side to side. "Lord Babi has left in secret before."

The two gasped dramatically. "This isn't the first time?"

Iodem nodded solemnly.

"Do you know where he went before?" ventured one.

"I followed Lord Babi once," Iodem confided.

I shifted feet. I felt bad, listening to a private conversation like this.

"I was certain he went into the cave..." His voice trailed off. "But he disappeared. Vanished, before my very eyes!"  
Vanished? Was my theory about Babi right?

"You mean you lost sight of Lord Babi, right?" one of them assumed nervously.

"No. I mean he vanished." Iodem confirmed. "I tried following him several times after that. Each time, he vanished within seconds of entering the cave's mouth."

"And you think that's where he went?"

"Yes. But this time is different. Something puzzles me." Iodem paused, looking thoughtful. "It is certainly...strange that Lord Babi should go right before Colosso. But there's something else. Lord Babi's bedding was not disturbed this morning. Last night, Lord Babi did not use his bed. So he has, in fact, been missing since last night. And that is why I am so worried. He has never done this before."  
One of the soldiers cleared his throat, looking nervous. "You don't think Lord Babi is de-"  
"Speak no such foolishness!" thundered Iodem suddenly. "I am sure he is alive and well...somewhere..."

"Of course," the other interjected.

"I will go to the colosseum," Iodem told them, "in Lord Babi's stead. You must find him!"

The two nodded and walked right by us. I braced myself against the wall, but they didn't notice us. Iodem stood alone in the hall. "Lord Babi, where have you gone?" he cried to the unwelcoming stone walls. He shook his head, turned, and walked away. We sneaked behind him. Down a couple of flights of stairs, we entered a tunnel. Lit with golden light, it felt awake and alive and ready for the tournament.

We climbed another set of stairs to entered a stone room with storage barrels leaning against the walls. Up another flight, we found ourselves in the colosseum. People clustered around. I turned towards the center of the arena.

Two judges and several warriors stood in the center. One warrior attempted the test, trying to lift the heavy pillar. He failed, and, embarrassed, raced away. The judges raised twin red flags.

Another warrior tried, and, groaning from the effort, lifted the stone pillar. People clapped and cheered. The judges raised two white flags.

The next started to try. Garet poked me. "Are we gonna help find this Babi guy?"  
I nodded, nudging Ivan. "Time to go."  
His face fell. "Why?"  
"We've got to find Lord Babi!" I exclaimed. Reluctantly, he followed me out of the colosseum.

"Where should we start?" Mia wondered.

I smiled wryly. "This Altmiller Cave."

A/N: Review. Please.


	44. The Mysterious Voice

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

I shivered as we entered the dark cave. Altmiller Cave was definitely not a welcoming kind of place. The light was dim, and grew dimmer the further we went.

In the next, completely dim room, we encountered some trouble.

"Monsters!" yelped Ivan. Sure enough, a corpse and a huge mud golem stood there, ready to attack us.

"Monstrous creatures, unhand these chivalrous knights!" cried Gust, flying forward.

"Wahoo!" Flint didn't even need to hear my summon to know that I wanted him to attack.

Scorch raced out, flames gathering at her feet as she dashed towards the golem. It crumbled into dust that blew away in the whirlwind Ivan conjured up.

"Take _that_!" shouted Hail agressively, ice flying toward the undead.

It groaned as the ice hit its body and raised a hand to hit me. I tried to dodge it, but it caught the top of my head. I used my blade to decapacitate it. The body fell to the ground.

We continued on to a dark hallway.

"I can't see a thing!" Garet complained.

"Yes, we could walk right into a pit and not know it!" agreed Mia.

I sent Garet a disbelieving look. "Oh, come on, Garet, you're a Mars Adept!"

He waved his hand and several flames appeared throughout the cavern. He stumbled and almost fell. Mia grabbed one arm, Ivan the other, and I stood behind him, supporting him from there.

"What happened?" Mia wondered.

"He used up all his Psynergy," Ivan explained. "It's come as a shock to him."

Just then, up came another undead. I rolled my eyes. "It couldn't have chosen a worse time if it'd tried."

"Maybe it did," Mia suggested darkly. "I'll stay with Garet, he's in no shape to battle."

I shrugged and called out Sap. He looked uneasily from one side to the other. "This is scary..."

"We'll probably end up dead," agreed Smog. I rolled my eyes again and made a mental note to keep those two apart, away from the other Djinn, and _especially_ away from Fizz.

The undead swung its thick club and almost hit Ivan. He ducked just in time. Finally, Sap and Smog attacked, sending the zombie flying into the wall and crumbling into dust.

I turned back to ask Mia how Garet was doing and gasped. He was still laying helplessly on the floor, but Mia was nowhere to be found.

"Over here!" she called. I turned to find her battling another chest mimic.

"Just what we need," I muttered, signaling to Ivan. "Ragnarok!"

The giant sword fell from the sky, jabbing the mimic. It struggled out from under it only to get showered with sparkling ice crystals that cut into its metal-like skin. Ivan danced forward and jabbed it with his saber.

I shouted above Ivan's Atalanta to Mia. "Mia, take care of Garet! We'll get rid of this thing!"  
She nodded and slowly began retreating. The mimic scuttled forward, its oversized pincers hungry for flesh. I struck it with my sword. _Ramses!_

But my timing was off. I summoned Ramses at the same time as Ivan called up a whirlwind, creating a sandstorm. The mimic was carried away by the storm. Behind it the real treasure hid-another small bottle of Water of Life. I took it over to Mia, still leaning over Garet worriedly.

She took it without looking at it and slipped it in her pack. "He's just barely conscious! I don't know what to do!" she wailed, frantically checking his heartbeat. "I've tried Ply, and it does nothing!"

Suddenly struck with an idea, I fumbled in my pack, drawing out the crystal. Ivan and Mia watched worriedly. "Maybe this does something! It was in the same category as Water of Life and those elixirs!"

"How do you administer it?" wondered Ivan.

I shrugged. "Maybe you just wave it over them..."

Garet sat bolt upright. "I feel so much better! My strength's back! That crystal!"

I gave him a strange look. "How'd you know about that?"

"I was awake...just barely."

I shrugged and we continued on.

After about five minutes, we encountered something strange. A shape, a figure of someone in a cloak. I could just see the dim edges of the person in the pitch black cave.

"Hello?" I called cautiously.

"You..." The voice was an old man's. He cleared his throat and continued. "You can see me?"

"I wouldn't call it seeing, exactly, but yeah." answered Garet.

"I think it's some sort of Psynergy," spoke up Ivan.

The mysterious voice sounded amazed. "You know about Psynergy? And you can see me?"

"That's what we said!" Garet shouted, his quick temper rising. "Don't hide, show yourself!"

"Even if I wanted to show myself, I couldn't." confided the voice. "As you can see, I cannot move."

"What happened?" asked Mia in a worried tone.

"Hmm, yes, well, I ran out of my draught and collapsed." the voice informed us.

I raised an eyebrow, though I doubted the owner of the voice could see it. "Draught?"

"What kind of draught?" asked Ivan suspiciously.

"You couldn't even begin to comprehend if I tried to tell you." He coughed. The edges flickered.

"You seem to be in a lot of pain," observed Mia. "Your life depends on that draught, I guess."

"Yes, it does." agreed the person. "Might you, possibly, do me a favor?"

"A favor?" Ivan repeated. "What?"

"I'd like you to get my draught for me,"

"Get it?" Garet repeated.

"Where is it?" I asked.

"Deep in this cave..." the voice intoned.

In the dim light of the nearest flame of Garet's, I could see Mia roll her eyes. "What, is there a pharmacy down there?"

"Witty, aren't we?" sneered the voice. "I'll have to tell you how to find it. Would you do this for me?"

I shared a look with the others. Mia looked unsure. Ivan looked downcast. Garet looked downright angry. But they all nodded.

"Yes." I answered. "What do we have to do?"  
"First, you'll have to go deep into the cave," the voice instructed. "You'll find five rocks sticking up out of the ground. Rotate the rocks on the left and right sides. When you turn the rocks in the right order, five colored lights will appear."  
Garet snorted. "Rotating rocks and colored lights?"  
"That does sound weird." agreed Mia.

"Lights will appear on the wall," repeated the voice. "There will be five colors: blue, green, white, yellow, and red. Turn the five rocks in accordance with those colors. The blue light corresponds to the rock farthest to the left. In order, the other rocks are green, white, yellow, and red." I made a mental note: left to right, blue, green, white, yellow, red.

"When you see the light, rotate the corresponding rock," he continued. "If you do this correcly, a hidden door will open."  
Garet leaned in and whispered to me, "This sounds more like one of Ivan's adventure stories than something real."  
I nodded absently, trying to listen to the mysterious voice.

But he was done, and only his moans of pain echoed in the dimly lit cave. Just as we were about to head down the stone steps, he stopped us. "The draught is on a table behind the door. Please hurry!"

"Yes, sir." I answered automatically, starting down the stairs.

Into more of the dimly lit cave. Garet groaned. "I think I'm gonna have to use Psynergy again."  
"No, you're not." Mia said firmly.

"Yes, I am. A floating fireball is what we need, not these random torches!" He summoned up a floating ball of flames. It bobbed in front of us, lighting the path.

"Pretty good!" I complimented admiringly.

We continued on in silence, and my thoughts drifted back to my earlier dream. Where was Jenna? At the next lighthouse? Where was the next lighthouse? I nudged Ivan. "Where's Prox?"  
"Pretty far to the north. Why?" he asked.

"Just wondering. Where's, um..." I struggled to remember the name of another town, "um, Lalivero?"  
"In Gondowan, not that far from here." he answered.

Lalivero. The city at the base of Venus Lighthouse. I almost tripped as I walked down the steps. Vine laughed in my head.

"Monster alert!" cried Garet. I looked up and faced a gigantic, purple, two-headed, wolflike _thing_ about three feet away. I took a step back, taking in its appearance.

I blinked and mentally called Sap.

_I'm on recovery!_ came the reply.

I rolled my eyes, replying, _I suppose Flint is, too?_

_Yup,_ he answered. _Of course, you could always take..._

_Yes! _cheered Ground happily.

"Achoo!" sneezed Fever.

"I'm sleepy."  
"Unhand those Adepts!"

The two-headed thing snarled viciously, ready to attack. Ground flew towards it, chattering all the while. The monster froze.

Ground, returning, grinned up at me. "You better run," he suggested.

I took his advice. Running as fast as we could, four young Adepts fled.


	45. Babi!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: Lord Destoyer, I think I can work that in. I'll try.

"A Jupiter Djinni!" I exclaimed, pointing at the small bluish-purple creature. She didn't seem to notice us, facing the wall. Broken pillars blocked our path towards the Djinni and onward.

Ivan studied the fallen pillars carefully. "It's a puzzle. Push, um, that one." He pointed at a pillar. Garet moved it effortlessly.

"That one, freeze the puddle, Mia, um, that one down, that one over, and that one down."

We raced over to the Djinni. She turned as she heard us coming. "Oh, my! Adepts! I never thought I'd see the day!"

I smiled cautiously, hoping she'd join without a fight. "Yes, I'm Isaac, this is-"  
"Isaac!" she shrieked. "Isaac?! As in, Isaac who saved Kolima! The same Isaac from Vale? Oh, and this must be Garet! Ivan! Mia! Omigosh, I just _have_ to get a souvenir!" With that, she pounced on my head wildly.

I batted the crazed Djinni off with my blade. _Flint, save me! Please! _

Flint popped out, ready to attack. The Djinni stared at him admiringly. "Flint! Oh, I've heard stories about you, too! I hear you've won a whole ton of fights!"

Flint puffed up with pride. "Yup, I was their very first Djinni!"

"Flint!" I hissed. "Attack her!"

Flint looked confused. Then his tiny brain clicked. "Oh, right. Sorry, Squall." He knocked her aside gently.

She smiled sweetly. "Don't worry about it." Squall sprang upon Garet's head, trying to grab a single red hair off his head.

Garet looked scared, trying to hit the Djinni with his axe without chopping his head off. Mia dashed over and knocked the Djinni off his head, only to have Squall transfer to her blue hair.

Ivan's saber found its job-unfortunately, Mia did lose a few aquamarine hairs that Squall gathered up eagerly.

"Ramses!" I shouted, not bothering to keep my attack secret. She threw her stubby Jupiter Djinni hands up in the air.

"I give up! Wait...this means...I can join you, if you'll have me! Oh, please, please, please..."  
While the Djinni was still "please"-ing, Gust popped out. "Squall!" she shrieked. "Oh, these are great and noble knights!"

"I know!" Squall squealed. "I have heard about their noble quest! It's fantastic!"

Ivan's eyes were growing wider and he was backing away slowly. I joined him. "What?"  
His face was pale. "She's...she's almost _worse_ than Gust..."

Breeze, Zephyr, Smog, and Kite materialized next to us and Garet leaned against the wall. The Djinn scurried over to the others.

"Good! A Jupiter Djinni! Squall!" exclaimed the prejudiced Breeze. I rolled my eyes.

Mia walked over to us, choosing to lean next to Garet on a stone pillar.

"Who?" Kite wondered. "Small?"  
"Squall...you look different..." Zephyr muttered.

"Squall, I'm surprised you survived this long," Smog said dully.

The Mars Djinn popped out. "No, no, no..." chanted Forge, sinking down with each "no".

"A Jubider Jiddi?" Fever asked. "Who is idt? Oh, hi, Squall."

"Hey, Squall!" Corona called.

"Squall! Why haven't I heard from you?" cried out Scorch, sounding aggravated.

"Oh, hey, Squall. Ignore Forge." Ember advised as she joined the gaggle of Djinn around Squall.

Next my Djinn popped out. "Hi again, Squall!" squeaked Flint.

Ground appeared behind him. "Yeah, hi!"  
"Hello, Squall." Granite greeted.

"H-hi, Squall..." stammered Sap.

"Omigosh! Squall!" Quartz shrieked, joining her friends.

"Hey, Squall!" Vine exclaimed. Quartz, Ember, Corona, Scorch, Gust, and Squall formed their own group, secluding themselves from the rest.

Finally, Mia's Djinn appeared.

"Squall!" wailed Fizz. "I was so sure you'd died!" Oh, no! I thought. She's been talking to Smog!

"Squall." stated Sleet.

Mist yawned. "Hi, Squall!"

Hail joined the group along with Fizz. "I saw the fight. You did pretty well...of course, I did _better_."

Lastly, Spritz popped out. He joyfully raced over to Squall. "Squall, it's you!"  
"I've been hearing stories about you, Spritz!" marvelled Squall. "Have you changed to a warrior Djinni?"  
The end of Spritz's spiky tail turned red, a probable indication of embarrassment. "No," he muttered, scraping the floor with his clawed foot.

"But he's a fantastic healing Djinni!" piped up Gust.

Spritz stole a look at her. "You really think so?"  
"Of course you are!" Corona assured him. "You're one of the better ones! You can heal _everyone_!"

Spritz preened himself a little, smiling at the praise. Garet, grinning, turned to say something to Mia.

"She's gone!" he gasped.

"I'm okay!" Mia's muffled voice came from below us. "Actually, I think I broke an arm, but I haven't been eaten by monsters, at least. I'm going to try to get out. You see that pillar I was leaning on is gone, too? It fell in the gap and I fell along with it."  
I looked over at her. "Yeah, your arm looks broken. I'll help." I cured it quickly, glad for a use of my newfound healing skills.

"Thanks," she thanked, as the three of us pulled her out. "Now we can cross!"

The Djinn disappeared suddenly, rejoining us. I very carefully stepped over the gap, gesturing to the others. After all four of us had crossed, I started down the stairs.

Another dimly lit room. Garet's flame ball followed us faithfully, lighting up the maze-like paths.

When I had just spotted the stairway, I heard a banging noise. Turning, I faced the golem. Swinging my blade, I restored it to dust in a few quick swipes. I shook my head.

"They're getting too easy," I remarked.

Mia shot me a warning look that I could barely see in the light of the ball. "Don't get too cocky, Isaac,"

I shrugged off her warning. "I'm not!" I stepped down the stairs before she could say more on the subject.

This room was another lighted one. Huge flames burned mystically on the walls, and I guessed that we were near to the stones the voice had spoken of. We carefully worked our way around the room.

Sure enough, in the next room rested the five stones. I concentrated on what the voice had told us. _Rotate the rocks on the left and right sides. _ Ivan was already working on turning the leftmost stone. I turned the right stone, and, just as the invisible person had said, a wheel of colors appeared on the wall. They spun faster and faster, finally stopping on yellow.

I concentrated. Yellow was...

"The fourth one, left to right." Ivan spoke up.

I turned to him, surprised. "Did you-"

His tanned cheeks turned pink. "Yes..."

Shrugging, I moved the rock. The wheel of light spun again, landing on red.

I remembered that one. Furthest to the right. I moved it. All of the lights began to flow outward, revealing a door.

"Whoa," murmured Garet as I carefully and quietly stepped through.

Inside, on a stone table, was a red chest. I opened it and pulled out the large diamond-shaped vial. A very small amount of red liquid rested in it.

"Do we have to go all the way back?" complained Garet.

I shook my head. "Retreat..."

We made our way without hinderance back to the invisible person. Gently, in case we might be too late, I called out. "Um, hello?"  
"You..." He cleared his throat. "You came back...Please, give me the draught."

Ivan uncorked the crystal vial carefully. "Here it is."

Hands we couldn't see grabbed the vial quickly. I heard the noise of him greedily guzzling the draught.

When he was done, he exclaimed happily, "You've saved my life! Thank you!"

Suddenly, the edges moved, and he walked into the light. Gray hair, stern dark eyes, a proud nose, thin lips, a gray beard, rich clothes, and an ornate cane. In short, the man depicted on a statue in the palace. The man the soldiers were looking for. Lord Babi of Tolbi.

I took several steps back. I had forgotten almost completely about the original reason we came to the cave.

The regal-looking man cleared his throat again, aware of four pairs of eyes staring in awe. "Yes, thank you for your help. I shall be fine. My sudden appearance seems to have startled you."  
I cleared my own throat and tried to look responsible. "Yes, sir...I mean, yes, m'lord."

Babi nodded solemnly. "I would have revealed my identity sooner, but I could not even move."  
"How did you become paralyzed while you were invisible?" asked Mia, the healer as always.

"And that ability to conceal yourself...are you an Adept?" ventured Ivan.

"An Adept?" Babi repeated, baffled. "What are you talking about?"

"You used Psynergy to conceal yourself, didn't you?" accused Garet.

"Only an Adept could do that," I added. Perhaps Babi did not know of the Adepts and Psynergy, although a scholar of Alchemy such as himself ought to have heard about them.

Babi seemed to lose his regality, blushing and stammering as much as any of us. "Oh, um, yes, indeed, er, I was using, erm, Psynergy to, um, conceal myself."

Ivan poked us. "Something seems wrong. Should I mind read him?"

I nodded almost imperceptibly.

Ivan walked over to Babi. "I shall peer into your heart," he announced.

Babi looked a little nervous as Ivan stood next to him. After a few minutes, Mia impatiently wondered, "What's the matter?"

"That _wasn't_ Psynergy Lord Babi was using to conceal himself," explained Ivan. "It was the power of an ancient civilization!"

Babi angrily turned to Ivan. "I said nothing of the sort! How could you know that?"

Ivan simply blinked, waiting for it to reach Babi.

Babi, understanding, turned back to us. "I suppose that would make you four Adepts. Does that mean...are you Lemurians?"

"Lemurians?" I repeated. "What on Weyard are Lemurians?"

"Adepts but not Lemurians!" puzzled Babi. Ivan rejoined us.

"So I was wrong..." pondered Babi.

"I believe you are searching for these Lemurians, correct?" Ivan asked.

Babi cringed and nodded.

"Lord Babi, you're the ruler of Tolbi!" stated Garet. "You can have anything you want! Why would you want to find these Lemurians?"

Babi sighed and massaged his wrinkled forehead. "Even the ruler of Tolbi has his...limitations. Every year I grow older, and more frail."

"And you regret growing older?" probed Ivan.

"I understand your desire to remain young," spoke up Mia. "But there's nothing anyone can do about it."

Garet froze. "Wait a second! Isaac, do you remember when we were in Sol Sanctum?"  
I rolled my eyes. "Of course I do, Garet, that was only a month or two ago!"

"Remember? Kraden said Alchemy could _thwart death itself!_" Garet seemed very excited.

Babi's dark eyes widened. "What was that?" he questioned. "Did you say you know...Kraden?"  
How did he know Kraden? "Yes," I admitted. "Why?"

Babi's thin lips opened as he began to speak, but before he could utter as much as the first syllable, a voice called out, "Babi!"

The two guards that had been speaking to Iodem stood there. "We've been searching _everywhere_ for you!" declared one.

"Iodem said we might find you here!" agreed the other.

Babi cringed.

"You're...not glad we found you?" questioned one.

"No, it's not that," Babi assured them.

"What are you doing in a cave such as this, m'lord?"

"I have my reasons," he said mysteriously.

"We're just glad we found you. The trials are over. You must not tarry!" one declared.

"I must speak more with these people!" protested Babi.

"Who are they?" wondered one in a dismissive tone.

"I owe my life to them." Babi declared. The guards turned skeptical eyes on us.

"Pardon our rudeness," one apologized. "You have our gratitude. We must grant you a reward."

Babi turned back to us. "I have not heard your names yet."

"Isaac of Vale," I began.

"Garet of Vale," he added.

"Ivan of Kalay,"

"Mia of Imil."  
Babi considered for a moment. "Say, I have an idea! Why don't you enter Colosso? You have some...interesting, er, strengths."  
"But they have not cleared the trials!" protested one soldier.

Babi turned a fierce glare on them. "I believe that saving my life qualifies them quite suitably! Are you going to argue?"

"No, m'lord." one agreed.

"I look forward to seeing you battle!" declared Babi. All three exited the cave.

"Should we do the finals?" Garet asked me.

I looked at him in surprise. "Of course! Retreat..."


	46. Azart

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

I woke up suddenly. Garet was yawning. "'Morning," he greeted sleepily, reminding me of Mist.

"Good morning," I replied. Colosso was today!

"Good morning!" called Ivan.

"Good morning," agreed Mia.

"C'mon, let's go!" Garet decided.

I practically bounced out of the room, humming a lively tune. It'd turned out that Babi offered rest in his extra rooms for Colosso participants. We'd spent the night there, as the inn was full.

I bounded out, whistling now. The soldiers sent me a disapproving look, but I didn't care. The others caught up to me. We reached the colosseum.

"Hey, you're Isaac!" exclaimed a guard brightly.

I nodded. "Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia, that's us."

"You're kidding," another said weakly. "That's Isaac? The one Babi hand-picked?"

I shot him a glare. "I've seen a lot of combat. Just ask anybody who came here by way of the Tolbi ship."

Another one, ignoring me, turned to the second, muttering, "He's just a kid! What does Babi think Colosso is? A playground?"

I was starting to feel very angry. "I'm not a kid! I'm seventeen!" I snapped.

"Putting _him_ in the finals is an insult to everyone who cleared the trials!" agreed another.

"You want to fight?" I challenged angrily.

Mia put a hand on my shoulder. "Isaac-" I jerked away.

"Oh, come off it, Mia." Garet agreed. "He's insulting us!"

The first soldier turned to the others. "Don't you people have faith in Babi? Babi wouldn't let him into the finals just to repay a favor!"

"I guess you're right," agreed the one who'd called me a kid.

The first one turned to us. "All of the Colosso participants go to the waiting room, okay? This way, please."

We followed them.

When we finally reached our destination, I looked around appreciatively.

The guard waiting for us shot a dirty look at the others. "You, scat! This is for Isaac only."  
"Huh? Isaac's the only one entering the finals?" Ivan asked, sounding remarkably like Garet.

"The warriors entered in the finals must go _alone_," he added firmly.

"But why Isaac?" Mia demanded, starting to sound upset. I gave her a strange look. She was a healer, not a warrior! Of course she fought, too, but it was Garet and me...

"Yeah! Why Isaac?" challenged Garet. I sent him a helpless look. I couldn't help it!

He responded with a curt nod.

"That is what Babi wanted," another soldier told us.

"But I wanted to enter, too!" whined Garet.

"We aren't accepting any more entries," another informed us sternly.

Garet started stiffening up. Ivan didn't look too happy himself, and Mia looked furious. "This isn't fa-" she started.

The guards cut her off. "We _aren't_ accepting _any more entries_. Master Isaac, please prepare yourself. You cannot bring any items with you. Remove your pack and give it to your friends."  
I pulled off my pack reluctantly and handed it to Garet. Ivan looked at me with sad eyes. "I guess all you can do is get it over with, Isaac."

I nodded. I was sad my friends couldn't continue...but I was in Colosso!

Meanwhile, Mia was comforting Garet gently. "I know you want to enter, too, but there's nothing we can do!"

Garet immediately turned to glare at her. "This is crazy! Isaac won't survive against those Colosso warriors!"

I shot him a glare Jenna would have been proud of. "What are you talking about? Of course I will!"

Quietly, Ivan, who seemed the least upset, added, "If you want to win, Isaac, you'll have to use Psynergy."  
I looked at him, taken aback. "Of course I will!"

"Wait a minute...what did Babi say we're supposed to do while Isaac's competing?" Ivan wondered.

One of the soldiers overheard this. "We've made a slight exception. You can cheer him on from the stage."  
A slow, mischievous grin spread across Ivan's face.

"If everything is settled, we'll take you there." the soldier added.

"Umm, can't Isaac see the stages, too?" ventured Ivan.

"I don't see the harm in it," decided one soldier. "I'll give you a tour of the arena. Let's go!"

While he was leading us, I poked Ivan. "What are you planning?"  
He just smiled mysteriously and turned back to the others, whispering secretively. A minute later, we reached it.

"This is the site of the first finals battle," our soldier guide called over his shoulder.

"So _this_ is where warriors test their mettle against each other," murmured Mia, trying to gather as much information on Colosso as possible.

"Well, no, it's actually more than that." the soldier explained. "The warriors are racing to get here first and get the best equipment. Warriors enter the finals without any of their own equipment, as you know. Please look over there." We did. "That is the starting point of the first stage of the finals. You must get through several stages before you reach the arena. The chests along the way contain useful items. Over there is the battle arena. You can get weapons or armor in the arena, too, but one is weaker. The first one there can claim the stronger equipment for themselves. Also, you can keep the equipment you get here in the next match. Understand?"  
I nodded. "Yes, sir."

Mia pointed to the first stage. "Let's hear about that one."  
"You'll have to ask the attendant," advised the soldier.

"This is stage one of the first finals match," announced the attendant, sounding glad to have something to do. "They call this the rock challenge. Warriors must create steps they can use to get through here."  
Mia inspected the stage for a moment, finally smiling. "Garet, why don't you cheer here?" she asked with a secretive wink.

He looked confused but then nodded. "Okay."

The attendant moved out of the way, letting Garet in. After that, we heard about all the other stages. Ivan decided to cheer in the second, "the pipeworks", and Mia in the third, "the broken bridge".

I returned alone to the soldier, feeling a little lonely. I was led to a room with the rest of the participants. I felt out of place. I walked over to my circle and inspected my opponents. Then I remembered the golem I'd beaten so easily. I remembered Saturos.

I grinned. This was going to be easy.

Dong! The bell rang, announcing the start of Colosso. The others started through. I strode through last, confidently.

A stone pillar easily allowed me entry to the next stage. I jumped on a platform and continued through. Next was the broken bridge.

I spotted a small green vine and deftly grabbed it. I climbed up it and dashed on. I rolled across the lake on the log, picked up the iron shield, and waited for my opponent. This was easy!

Finally he appeared, wearing a gold-colored helmet.

I grinned. Me against one Psynergy-less warrior? _Flint!_

Taken aback, the warrior stumbled, almost falling off the platform. The audience gasped. Flint rocketed back to me, hiding in my hair. The warrior, recovering, slashed at me.

I parried his blow almost completely with my sword. He slashed again. "Azart! Remember that name, Isaac! Azart, the champion!"  
I laughed. "I see you've already learned the name of the _real _champion." In my mind, I called for Sap.

Azart stumbled again, cursing. I saw a mother out of the corner of my eye cover her young girl's ears.

Azart struck me. I rubbed my cut arm. I deserved that for letting my attention wonder. It immediately healed. He attacked again.

"Ramses!" I muttered. The giant hand pummeled him. He angrily hit me again.

I waved a hand over my injuries, effortlessly healing them. _Set!_ sang Flint.

_Great! Go!_ I mentally shouted.

Azart was getting more used to my Djinn. He tossed a small item at me, and I found myself on fire!

I batted it out, healing myself again. _I'm set...but please don't send me out there to the scary..._

Azart plunged his sword in the air again, narrowly missing Flint nestled in my hair. Sap unwillingly zoomed out. Azart stumbled and fell.

The crowd cheered. "Isaac, Isaac, Isaac!"

I stood there, drinking in the praise. I had won.


	47. Satrage and Navampa

Disclaimer: I still don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: Fizz doesn't know any better, I guess. About the "Jenna-glare" thing, you'll find out...in Jenna's Story! Yay! Mia _didn't_ want to fight, I thought that was obvious! _Garet_ did, and she was complaining for _him_!

"Thanks. I'm done," I told the soldier who'd accompanied us once again to the Colosso finals. Mia, Ivan, and Garet had already chosen their seats.

He nodded and we headed back. The bell rang promptly, and I dashed out.

Through the easy mini-maze, across stationary platforms, across on a log and over a pillar of ice, sweating hard, up a wall, leap back down, push a log, jump!

I reached the arena first and grabbed some chain mail as fast as I could. I waited impatiently for my opponent to arrive. Finally, a warrior dressed in green reached the arena. He was panting.

Immediately I called out Flint, set again after Azart. The warrior stumbled. But he dashed back and tried to hit me with his dagger. I danced away easily, calling on a Ragnarok.

The sword fell heavily from the sky, pinning the warrior down. The crowd cheered.

"You can't beat Satrage, victor of Colosso, quite so easily," he muttered between gritted teeth, catching my cloak with his sword. He dropped a small object which I recognized to be a smoke bomb.

_Sap!_

_Oh, no! Not another mean, scary..._

Sap hit Satrage. Satrage held a hand on the edge of the arena to steady himself. He was nearing collapse. But he reached into his boot and pulled out a Druminat. He crunched it loudly.

Meanwhile, I was using my time constructively. "Ramses!"

He grabbed another Druminat hungrily. Sensing my win was near, I mentally pictured the ground shaking, making him fall.

Satrage avoided my Quake and hit me with his blade. I waved a hand over myself, healing my injuries. My supply of Psynergy today felt limitless!

He struck me again and I winced. _Flint? Set?_

_Yup!_ he answered proudly, zooming towards Satrage. The warrior stumbled again, but managed a punch. _Sap?_

_No! No! No!...Yes._

Attack again. Heal. An endless battle, it seemed. But I would win, no matter how long it would take! "Ramses!"

Satrage almost collapsed, but he had gained strength from the Druminat. He slashed at me again. I dodged it, hitting him in response.

Again. I felt my heart racing. Heal. Flint. It would end soon...

Satrage stumbled. I saw my chance. I hit him one last time...and he fell.

The crowd cheered wildly. I had won my second match.

I rejoined my friends.

"Isaac, you did great!" Ivan shouted.

"Yes, you did well," agreed Mia.

Garet apparently forgave me, because he said, "You did great out there."

I grinned, drinking in the compliments. "It was easy."

Mia sent me a warning look. "Actually, Isaac, we-"  
But this time, it was Garet who covered somebody else's mouth. He muttered something and she nodded. I sent them a strange look and shrugged. It didn't really matter.

"Are you ready?" called the soldier.

"Yes!" I shouted back, following him. We reached the place for the final round. I was excited and alive with energy.

We stopped by each stage. I didn't really pay attention. I was the champion! I couldn't lose!

Ivan left after the first stage, and Mia left at the third. It was Garet and me until the fifth stage. I glanced briefly at the sixth stage and then left.

The bell rang. It was my time to shine. I raced out. Across another ice pillar. The stone pillar puzzle confused me for a moment, but I quickly dashed further. I ran across a ledge, not even worried like I normally would be. Next, I climbed up a wall.

I felt exhilarated. I ran down the steps. Across a broken conveyor belt. Finally, I pushed some pillars out of the way, rolled a log, and reached the arena.

I automatically grabbed the heavy sword waiting for me. I waited myself, grinning. Finally, a panting warrior appeared on the scene.

"You will remember my name," the pink warrior growled. "Navampa! Mark that name, young Isaac."

I gave him a dazzling grin. "I see you have already marked my name. Good. Remember me. You will be able to say to your grandchildren, 'I fought Isaac once! Yes, _the_ Isaac, the youngest person ever to win Colosso! Of course, I lost...'"

"We'll see who loses," Navampa snarled. "May the best man win! I use that term very loosely."

I winked. "Everbody's human. I use _that_ term very loosely."

That was all Navampa could take. He angrily tried to strike me. But Navampa was blinded by his anger. I danced out of the way easily and called out Flint.

Navampa stumbled. Yelling, he ran at me. I moved out of the way almost lazily.

I called out Sap next. I was deliberately provoking him, trying to make him angry. It was working.

"Ramses!" I shouted. Summons are more impressive when shouted aloud.

Navampa swung his sword blindly. He almost caught my arm, but I moved it back just in time. He managed to cut my wrist deeply, though.

I waved a hand over myself. _Set! Let me go out, please!_ Flint begged.

_Don't worry,_ I assured him, _I will. Right...now!_

Shouting with excitement, he flew forward. Navampa batted at the unseen force angrily.

He cut me again. I healed myself again. I called Sap. He slashed at me again. It was hit and block and heal, constant battling, no time to think. I was glad he didn't bring up the insults again; my brain wouldn't have managed any.

Navampa tossed a smoke bomb. I summoned Ramses. Taking equal turns, unsure of what the other would do. But I still felt confident. I would win.

Navampa angrily slashed at me again. I almost let out a yelp of pain, and, scolding myself for showing my hurt, healed my wounds immediately.

"I don't know how you do that, boy," Navampa muttered angrily, "but it won't work."

I smiled cheerily and summoned Flint. He stumbled. He hit. I called Sap. Navampa cursed. He slashed again. I was caught up in the rush of battle. I was tired, but I was alive! I was excited! My heart was pounding, like the noise of our boots smacking the packed-dirt ground.

Navampa danced forward, and almost felled me. I took a deep breath. This was the time. This was the moment. We were both exhausted but exhilarated. This was my chance!

I spun around, catching him unawares. I swung my sword for the first time in this battle. And he fell.

The crowd went wild. Navampa moaned. All of a sudden, my bones felt heavy. I looked at the sky. It was evening. I looked once more at Navampa...

And the last thought I had before collapsing next to my opponent was...

_I had won._


	48. Learning About Lemuria

Disclaimer: I still don't own Golden Sun.

Something red...a fire? I blinked. Garet's face swam into view. I blinked again. He turned away. "He's awake."

Mia, Ivan, and Garet crowded around me. I realized I was in a bed, back in Babi's palace.

"What happened?" I asked woozily. "Colosso?"  
Garet rolled his eyed. "Colosso? Duh! That ended a while ago! You passed out! You've been asleep all night! You won, you know that, right?"  
I vaguely remembered winning. "Of course I did!"

"Yes, you did fight brilliantly," Mia started. She turned to Garet. "Maybe you ought to tell him...be gentle, all right?"  
Garet nodded solemnly. "Um, Isaac, we sort of...we helped you."  
"What?" I practically jumped out of bed. "You _helped_ me? What did you do?"  
Ivan blushed. "Lots of stuff. I Froze two ice pillars-Garet lent me his frost jewel. I also filled a scale with Douse. I took it from your pack."  
"And I Moved that stone pillar you hopped over in the first round," Garet put in. "Plus, I shortened one of the log-rolling puzzles and broke the conveyor belt."  
"I used Psynergy to grow that vine you grabbed," admitted Mia. "And I used Halt on a couple of people moving the machinery. I'm really sorry, Isaac. We just wanted you to win, and since we couldn't participate..."  
"It was my idea." Ivan added. "I'm sorry."  
"Me too," agreed Garet. "But they really should have let us in."  
"Why didn't you tell me before?" I asked. "And why are you telling me now?"  
"We didn't tell you before because...well...you thought you were doing it...by yourself, and we didn't want to burst your bubble, you know. But then you started getting...um, really..." Mia's voice trailed off.  
"Really cocky," I put in. "I'm sorry, guys. I know I was a pain today."

"You mean yesterday." Garet corrected.

"Right, yesterday," I amended.

"Are you okay now?" Ivan asked.

I considered for a moment. I had certainly recovered in body, but what they had said had really shaken me. I scolded myself mentally. "Yes,"  
"He'd better be all right after sleeping this long! Sheesh!" Garet complained.

I grinned. I was glad Colosso was over and we were all back to normal.

"By the way, Lord Babi said he wanted to see you," Mia added.

I groaned. "Okay, I guess I can get up now." I heaved myself out of the comfortable bed.

I could hear the Djinn chattering in my head. I decided not to bother to tell them to be quiet, even though Quartz was complaining about me fiercely. I deserved it.

We walked to Babi's throne room. Iodem was waiting next to him.

"I've been waiting for you and your companions, Isaac!" Iodem greeted enthusiasticly.

Babi nodded his head to acknowledge us. "I have been waiting here to speak to you."

"It's hard to talk when you're so far away...come here." Iodem ordered.

We cautiously walked in front of them. Surely Iodem knew this was bad manners?

"The battles at Colosso were spectacular!" Babi declared, winking at me. I smiled.

"It was most rewarding to see Lord Babi's favored warrior steal the day," agreed Iodem.

Babi turned slowly but regally. "Iodem, bring him the victor's prize."

I started. Prize? I'd never heard anything about a prize!

Iodem nodded. "Yes, m'lord, right away." He reached behind the green throne and retrieved an object I couldn't see. He handed it to Babi solemnly. Babi in turn placed it in my hands.

It was a red cap shaped like a mushroom. Smiling, I lifted it up and placed it on Garet's head instead. "The real victor." I declared.

"Incidentally, Isaac, are you feeling better now?" Babi asked.

I started to nod my head then thought the better of it. "Yes."

"Ah, the recuperative powers of youth!" marvelled Iodem. "And after such fierce battling!"

Babi, with a small smirk, turned back to Iodem. "Who could expect less from the warriors that rescued me?" Warriors? So he_ knew_ the others had helped me!

"Enough with the flattery," Garet said loudly. Mia and Ivan looked scandalized and so did Iodem. I stifled a laugh. If you want diplomacy, get Ivan or Mia, but if you want blunt, straightforward, honest answers, go to Garet. "Let's get to the point. Why were we summoned?"

"Such insolence!" snarled Iodem. "Who do you think you are to speak to m'lord so?"

"Let it be, Iodem." Babi commanded. "There are other ways to judge a man."

Iodem nodded but glared sullenly at Garet when Babi turned his back. He reminded me of a young child who hadn't gotten his way. "We intended to thank you and your companions for saving Lord Babi, Isaac." Iodem said, clearly deciding to pretend Garet had never spoken. "But it would seem that gratitude is not enough."  
"I have disclosed everything to Iodem," Babi confided.  
"What do you mean by everything?" asked Ivan suspiciously, reminding me of his Djinni Zephyr.

"You do wish to know more about Lemuria, correct?" Babi arched an eyebrow.

"Yes." I answered.

"Your desire is as plain as day," Babi informed me.

"I have just seen Psynergy for the first time," breathed Iodem. "It is an awesome power..."

"I used my cloak ball," Babi explained.

"No one else could see it, but I knew Isaac's tournament was..." Iodem paused, choosing a word. "...strange. I thought it unlikely that you would fight using such power."

I felt my cheeks go red. Did Iodem think Psynergy was cheating?

"No need to be ashamed, Isaac," Babi assured me, glaring at Iodem. "Psynergy is also a warrior's power. When I first learned of your power, I was shocked. I thought you might be true Lemurians!"

Mia flinched. "You have mentioned Lemuria many times, Lord Babi. What is it?"  
"It is the city of an ancient people, lying far out at sea." Babi intoned. "Many years ago, about the time of the great flood, I went to Lemuria. The great flood struck while I was traveling with Lunpa."  
I didn't need to hear Ivan gasp, Mia let out an "ooh", or Garet stiffen. I knew that name.

"Lunpa the righteous thief?" repeated Ivan.

"I know it is hard to believe," Babi admitted. "It happened a hundred years ago."

Iodem blinked. "You mean...those rumors...are true?"

Garet nudged me. "Remember when Kraden mentioned the Stone of the Sages? Do you think that's what did it?"  
I shook my head. "I don't think so..."

"So you've even heard of the Stone of the Sages," Babi pondered. "I'm afraid I don't have it."  
I smirked at Garet.

"It is the draught of Lemuria that has allowed me to live so long," Babi continued.

"Draught of Lemuria?" Mia repeated, sounding puzzled.

"It is a magical draught once taken by those who lived in Lemuria," he explained.

"Just drinking it stops you from aging?" Ivan asked.

"Hmm..." Babi considered. "It would be...more accurate to say it _slows_ the aging process. There is death in Lemuria...but it only come to those whose senses have failed from _centuries_ of use."

"Do the Lemurians use Psynergy?" I asked curiously, at the same time Ivan said, "You have that draught, Lord Babi, that's why you've lived so long!"

Babi nodded.

"And become wealthy enough to rule Tolbi?" ventured Ivan.

"What are you getting at?" Babi demanded.

"What is your purpose in making everyone study Alchemy?" Ivan asked. I suddenly remembered Ivan's book.

"I'm starting to wonder myself," growled Iodem. "What do you hope to gain?"

"Ah...if I had attained true immortality, there would be no need for all this research," Babi told us.

"I'm not sure I understand." stated Iodem.

"I had precious little draught and I am running out," Babi said plainly. "You all saw it! There was but little left in the cave! It will run out any day now, and when it does, my life is...at its end."

Iodem's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?" he wailed. "We must hurry to Lemuria!" He dashed by me, clearly ready to order the ships to set off that very minute.

"It is pointless," Babi called.

Iodem stopped and turned. "What on Weyard do you mean? Pointless?"

"We cannot find Lemuria." Babi told him.

Iodem returned to his earlier position. "But you just said that it lies far out at sea. If we search the seas, we'll find it!"

"Pointless," repeated Babi. "I have sent many ships in the past. And still I failed."  
"Why'd you collapse in the cave if you had more draught?" interjected Garet.

"I have been rationing it. I waited too long between drinks," Babi explained.

"Trying to make it last longer," Mia supplied.

"I overexerted myself trying to find the missing land. And...I want you four to find Lemuria."  
That sure wasn't what I had expected.

"I have not been able to locate Lemuria by sea, but perhaps by air..." Babi trailed off as he saw four mouths hanging wide open. "I can hide it no longer. I have built Babi Lighthouse to see if I can find Lemuria at sea! Of course, there's more to it than that. We've spotted something in the ocean southeast of the lighthouse where Lemuria should be."

"Something dangerous no doubt," I said resignedly.

"What, monsters? We can handle them!" Garet argued.

"However, no sailor has been able to keep his bearings at sea. The currents shift there, subtly changing a ship's direction. The lighthouse will help them keep their bearings. I crossed the sea in a Lemurian ship. I am hoping you can sail it!" Babi exclaimed.

"Why us?" Mia wondered. "You've got whole armies of soldiers ready and willing to do as you bid! Why us?"

"None of them have Psynergy," he answered simply.

Psynergy. All our problems and solutions seemed to stem somehow from it. We had it. So did Babi...sort of. So did many others.

"Wait, what does Psynergy have to do with sailing a ship?" Garet demanded.

"One must have Psynergy to sail this ship!" Babi explained.

"You're an Adept!" Ivan exclaimed.

Babi looked a little sheepish. "Indeed, I learned to used a little Psynergy during my stay in Lemuria. With what I'd learned, I was able to guide the ship."

"What should we do?" whispered Garet urgently.

"We'll do it, of course." I answered loudly so Babi could hear. "But our own quest comes first. We _must_ save Jenna!"

"Jenna?" Babi questioned.

"A...a friend of ours. We need to go to Venus Lighthouse to save her," I explained.

Babi clapped his hands excitedly. "This is perfect! We must also go to Venus Lighthouse! Isaac, you shall go to Venus Lighthouse with Iodem!"

"Why?" I demanded. I trusted Babi and Iodem, but our own quest must come first. We were not the subjects of his realm! He couldn't order us around like that!

"Do not worry," he comforted. "You can take care of your own business first. Then, please, search for Lemuria! Is that acceptable?"  
"Yes," I answered, not bothering with the "m'lord". He couldn't order us around.

"I am most grateful!" Babi declared. "Why don't you all meet at the Gondowan Passage?"  
Iodem nodded, and so did we. He passed us, already on his way. Babi himself pardoned himself and left for his quarters.

Ivan poked me. "Isaac...his cloak ball...don't you think we could maybe use it?"  
"You're right! Let's try!"

And we went down to speak with Babi once more.


	49. Dealing with a Dealer

Disclaimer: I don't think ANYONE could think I own GS.

A/N: I already got Hail! Remember? I guess you don't. In the same chapter as Ground! I never go to Crossbone Isle, I don't think Isaac would waste the time when they could be catching up to Jenna...ahem, um, Saturos. wink wink wink I myself didn't think of the freezing...I've got a walkthrough from GameFaqs. What? It helps with the puzzles! I'm horrible at the things. What I like is the plot and the combat.

"Yeah, I'm from Kalay," the armor dealer confirmed, leaning against the wall. "I know a secret route, in fact, from here back there."  
Ivan's eyes widened. "Will you tell us? Please?"

"What's in it for me?" the armory man demanded.

I exchanged a look with the others. "Name your price," I said finally.

The man considered for a few minutes. "I'll tell you what. You do me a few errands out there. Bring me back two plate mails, six silver armlets, a vambrace, two blessed robes, and five silver helms in exchange for me telling you. Deal?"  
I glanced at the others. "We agree,"

"Okay!" The dealer looked excited. "Here's my map. Right _there_ is the cave. Make your way through and you'll be right about _here_. You should be able to find what I'm looking for in a place called Lunpa."

"Lunpa?" gasped Ivan. For once, it was _me_ who was the mind reader. I knew exactly what thought was running through Ivan's round head. "As in, Lunpa, the city of thieves?"

"That's what I said, kid," the armor dealer confirmed impatiently. "Lunpa. I'm real good friends with the armor dealer there. Don't worry, I'll give you the coins. It's much too expensive for some kids like you. But you've got to sign a royal contract."  
I exchanged a glance with the others. Garet looked blank. Nothing new there. Mia was biting her lip, looking thoughtful. Nothing new there, either. Ivan looked completely clueless. Now _that_ was a shocker. "What's a royal contract?" I asked finally.

The armor dealer rolled his dark eyes. "Don't you know? Oh, right, you don't live here. Anyway, it's a contract stamped with the royal stamp by Babi. You sign it, and if you don't keep your end of the deal, the soldiers will go after you. Get it now?"

I was annoyed at the armor dealer's rude tone, but I tried not to show it. "Yeah, we get it. How do you get one?"

The man surveyed us. "Do you really think you should speak for your friends? That tall redhead sure doesn't look like he understands, and that blue girl looks a little confused. Anyway, you go to Babi's palace. But don't worry, I've got one right here." He drew out a sheet of parchment with dark red writing on it. I shivered. I didn't _really_ think that it was written in blood, but you never know with dealings like these.

The dealer didn't seem to notice my discomfort. "I've already signed it, see? You _can_ write, can't you?"

I glared at him. "Of course!"  
He shrugged. "Well, you never know with foreign barbarians. Had a girl come in once who said she could write and just scribbled all over the parchment! Weird symbols and the like, you know."  
"We're not barbarians!" protested Garet.

The dealer shrugged again. "Hey, call 'em what you like, I don't care. Same thing to me. All four of you need to sign this. Here, you, ruffled-hair boy, come over here. Yeah, I mean you. The one wearing the blue tunic."  
I moved closer, patting down my hair self-consciously, and squinted down at the contract, reading every word carefully. Mother had repeated to me, time and time again, to never sign _anything_ without knowing what you were getting yourself into. After I finished reading it, deciding it was harmless, I signed my name at the bottom. In my best writing, I carefully wrote,_ Isaac of Vale_. I motioned to Garet.

The tall Adept walked over to it, reading it just as carefully as I had. Deeming it safe just as I had, my best friend wrote his name with care. He moved over and Mia stood by the counter.

Mia didn't bother to read it-maybe she had never been told to, or maybe she just trusted us. Either way, she signed her name almost immediately. She moved over again, leaving the space for Ivan.

Ivan looked troubled, and he re-read the statement several times before signing it. He stood there for a minute afterward, looking a little upset. But then he moved away, letting the dealer snatch up the precious parchment again.

The dealer looked joyful now that the deal was done. He reluctantly handed us a bag heavy with currency and bade us goodbye as another customer came through the door.

After I slammed the door behind us, we clustered around on the bridge atop the arch. I looked uneasily down at the ground, and the earth seemed to swirl beneath me. I shook my head and looked up again, being careful not to go near the edge. Garet sat on the edge, swinging his long legs carelessly. Ivan held on by only his hands. Mia seemed more reserved, sitting near Garet but completely on the bridge. I scooted nearer the middle, feeling my stomach lurch.

Mia cleared her throat. "So, um, are we going to Lunpa?"  
Garet looked up in surprise. "Of course! I mean, we are, right, Isaac?"  
I shrugged. "We signed the contract! We have to..."  
"That's not what I meant," Mia interrupted. "I meant, are we going to Lunpa to save Lord Hammet?"  
"That's up to Ivan," I said firmly.

Ivan swung himself back and forth faster, not answering.

"Ivan?" Garet called, as if he were searching for a lost dog.

Ivan heaved himself back up on the bridge, and for the first time I saw glistening tears on his face. He wiped his face with his hands, noticing me watching. The young Adept turned away from us again.

"I-I really don't know." Ivan's voice cracked a few times, and I knew he must still be crying. "It's just..."

"Ivan, I think I know that you do know," Mia said gently.

Ivan let out a little sob. "I want to go. But I don't want to hold you three back. But...but I will save him. I will rescue him this time. You can go on without me."

"No," Garet argued, his voice softening. "No. We're going with you." He sounded resolute.

"Garet's right." I agreed.

"Yes, you're right, Garet." Mia agreed. "All of us or none."

Ivan turned around again. "Really?"  
"Really," I assured him.

"Really," agreed Garet.

"Really," promised Mia.

Ivan nodded, brushing away his tears. "Okay. Let's get going."

I pulled out the map the man had given us. "We go...that way." I pointed.

"Let's get down from the arch first," laughed Garet. He slid down easily. Ivan followed. Mia stood, looking uneasy for a moment, but then slid down.

I looked down, feeling my stomach lurch. The ground rocked. I felt sick. I closed my eyes and tried to slide down. But I stopped before I could slide. I knew I needed to face my fear...but it wasn't easy. And I was wasting time. I stood up again and walked around. I climbed down the steps and rejoined my friends wordlessly.

We walked along the coast, following the map's directions. After about fifteen minutes of mostly silent walking, with the occasional, "No, Garet, it's that way!", or, "Look! I can see Kalay from here!", or, "I'm bored.", we encountered some trouble. It started with a crunching noise from deep within the earth.

"What's that?" I wondered.

Mia shivered. "I don't know, but it sure doesn't sound welcoming. Let's keep going."

"Ahh!" Garet cried.

I turned immediately to see Garet being pulled by an unseen force into the ground. I rolled my eyes. "Great joke, Garet. Really, let's get going."  
"No, it's got me!" he howled, shaking his leg viciously.

I grinned. "Great acting, but we've got work to do."

Garet shook his head. "Really! It's got me..."  
"This is getting annoying, Garet," I told him. "Just come on!"

Garet yelled in pain. "Isaac, this is real! Sol Blade promise!"  
I froze. "Sol Blade promise?" I turned and ran back to him, immediately trying to pull him away from the unseen monster. I pulled...pulled...pulled...

Garet flew into the air and I fell to the ground, my muscles aching. A mole scrambled out, looked back and forth, saw four furious Adepts, and decided to go back to its underground hideout.

"Sol Blade promise?" Mia repeated skeptically.

Ivan snickered. "You must really like that sword, huh, Isaac?"

I blushed. "I was nine when I came up with that! I was obsessed with heros and stuff back then."  
Ivan laughed. "I'm glad I didn't know you when you were nine. I'd bet you'd be another Gust! No offense, Gust!" he added hastily, clearly afraid that the Garet and the Djinn episode would repeat itself.

I glared at him indignantly. "No! I mean, not exactly..."  
Garet burst out laughing. "Not exactly? That's a laugh! Remember all the times you made me a dragon, Jenna a princess, and Felix a helpful peasant? And of course, you were Sir Isaac, the noble knight."  
I blushed a deep red. "Hey! I let you or Felix be a knight sometimes!"  
"And remember the time that you stole the ashes from the Sanctum, rubbed it over your face, and declared you were sick?" Garet reminisced. "Dora had a fit!"

Mia covered her mouth with her hand daintily, giggling madly. "Really?"

"You'll just have to ask Jenna about the time she climbed the tree," added Garet. "I was sick at the time."

I tried to stop myself blushing. "Speaking of Jenna, is it just me or do we have a quest? What are we waiting for?"  
Garet nodded solemnly, a contagious grin still tickling his lips. "Yes, let us go save the beautiful princess, Sir Isaac."  
I swung at him with my fist angrily, but he just dodged it, grinning, and bounced off toward the cave.


	50. Spooky

Disclaimer: Look, I don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: Wow! 50 chapters! I'm planning on about, um...66? It keeps getting longer! At chapter 45, I planned for 25 more chapters. Guess what. I added an extra. And another on the next. And again. And so now I have 26 more! Will I _ever_ get to Jenna's Story?!?

Lord Destroyer, I _am_ going to get Bane, but not on the island. I'm going to move her to be next to Flash in the desert. I haven't ever gotten all the Djinn in GS2, but I will when I write Jenna's Story...

Rants aside, it's time to get on with chapter fifty. (!!!)

We entered the dark and dreary cave, and it occured to me that the dealer had never told us what to do inside the cave. He simply told us where it started and where it ended.

I shivered. My cheerful mood had frozen and fallen off when we entered the chilly cave. Garet was silent also. Ivan and Mia didn't speak, either.

I took a few cautious steps. I mentally scolded myself. _Isaac, stop worrying!_ Taking a deep breath, I started off at a brisk pace.

I heard Mia gulp audibly, but then I heard the steady noise of her boots clacking against the could stone and dirt floor. After a few more seconds, Garet's heavy clomping could be heard. Last was Ivan's quiet scuffling. I stopped for a moment at a fork. The others quickly caught up, stopping also.

That was a bad idea. When we were walking, the sound of our footsteps drowned out the eerie silence. Now, the quiet was overpowering, shuddering through our bodies. The silence was tangible-I was quite sure that if I had the courage to unsheath my sword and swing it around a few times, my blade would cut right through it. I shivered several more times, and it wasn't because of the Imil-like conditions inside the dim cave.

"This is creepy," Mia whispered, probably to Garet. But her words, while not meant for other ears, echoed throughout the cave. "This is creepy...creepy...creepy...creepy..."

Ivan's teeth started chattering. I wasn't sure whether it was the cold, Mia's words, or the general feeling of the cave. I forced my head to look from side to side, deciding which fork to take.

I commanded my foot to move, and, reluctantly, it did. I repeated it with the other. Once I got started, it was easier. My noise closed out the last few ghastly "creepy"s. Soon the others began, too. We were walking down the right passage.

_This is scary..._Sap's frightened voice scared the wits out of me. I put a hand to my pounding heart and stopped in my tracks.

_I agree!_ Granite piped up.

_I hope there aren't any dead bodies in here..._Quartz muttered uneasily.

_I'll protect us!_ Flint declared.

_This is a little...creepy..._agreed Vine.

_I'll protect us!_ Ground declared.

_Djinn, you are not helping my nerves a bit,_ I informed the Djinn.

Vine seemed embarrassed. _You can hear us?_

_Yes, I can hear you! And you're making me worse! Stop talking! Or, better yet, talk like you normally do! Flint, you're supposed to chatter about how strong you are or something! Ground, so are you! Granite, you're supposed to agree! Quartz, you ought to be gossiping about Smog and Gust or something! Vine, you're supposed to play jokes! Sap...okay, Sap, you normally _do _act like this, but you could just be, um, quiet! Okay?_

My speech seemed to have startled the Djinn. But after a few moments, they were back to their regular selves.

_I don't always agree to what Flint says!_ Granite argued.

_Yes, you do!_ Ground said automatically.

_Yes, I do._ Granite amended.

_You know about Gust and Smog?_ Quartz asked eagerly. _What happened? Tell me! Now!_

Vine cackled evilly. _I just got an inspiration!_

Sap didn't say anything. Satisfied, I returned to the real world.

Garet, Ivan, and Mia were gaping at me. "What were you doing?" Garet demanded.

"Talking to the Djinn!" I answered defensively.

Garet made a scoffing noise. "What were they doing?"  
"Being scared to death."

"So are mine," Mia spoke up. "Fizz is sobbing about scary monsters, Sleet is stammering, Mist can't sleep, Spritz is afraid even warriors can't save us, and Hail is doubting her own abilities! It's not normal!"

Ivan massaged his forehead. "Why did you have to say that? Now Gust is clinging to the belief that her noble knights will save her again, Kite is screaming, Squall is weeping, Smog is talking about our downfall, Zephyr is begging for us to leave, and Breeze is cowering in the corner! They're not helping! I'm already scared half to death!"

Garet sighed. "Well, as long as...oh, no! Forge, stop crying!"  
_Forge is crying?_ Quartz thought, sounding interested.

"Fever is hiding! Corona is worried! Scorch is scared! Ember isn't avoiding Forge! It's not normal!" Garet wailed.

"We've got to go on!" I cried bravely. Suddenly, I was filled with a new resolution. I stomped through.

Up to a boulder. I waved a hand and lifted it. I ran underneath before this new courage ran out. But I stopped dead when I reached the water.

The water was murky and surely deep. I was a fairly good swimmer, but I didn't think I exactly wanted to cross this. I summoned up all my courage and turned around. "It's a dead end!" Slowly, I forced myself back to the fork where the others were still waiting.

I glared at them. "I go on and discover it's a dead end and what are you three doing? Going back to the fork!"  
Garet's voice was shaky, and I felt bad for shouting. "We couldn't! Our Djinn wouldn't shut up..." He shivered. "And it's creepy..."

I grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the left passage. Mia followed, looking worried, and Ivan brought up the rear, shivering.

"Bzzzz..." I turned my head from side to side. We had almost reached a doorway. What was that noise?

"Bzzzz!" It was getting louder, more insistent. "Bzzzz!"

Ivan let out a squeaking noise. "It's a huge bee!" he called.

I heard another noise, loud and clacking. A rat dressed in full armor, holding a spear and a shield, clanked up next to the gigantic bee.

I managed to walk up to the monsters. I swung my sword wildly, hoping to hit something. The others followed my example. Garet waved his huge sword back and forth. Ivan pierced with his rapier. Mia's staff flew through the air, beating the huge bee.

I was panting. The huge bee flew forward, aiming for Ivan.

I lunged! I caught the bee with my sword. It fell.

Garet was battling the oversized rat. Mia joined in, clubbing it over the head. Ivan finished it off, seemingly unaware that I had just saved him from a monstrous bee. I walked over to them.

Ivan's teeth started chattering again now that the heat of battle was over. Garet was shivering furiously. Mia seemed frozen in position. I felt my own legs start to halt. I collapsed to a sitting position.

Garet sat down next to me, shaking a small rock. Ivan landed on it, his teeth making even more noise. Mia was last to fall, and she made a small grunting noise as she collapsed between Garet and Ivan.

I grunted in reply. "We really need to get up," I added in a conversational tone.

"I know," Garet snapped. "But what can we do?"

I shrugged weakly. "Ivan, Mia, any ideas?"  
Ivan looked thoughtful. "What is making us feel like this?"  
"Maybe the Psynergy Stones fell in the cave and made it weird," I invented. "Or maybe it's a monster."

Mia sighed. "I'm going to try to get up." She pushed her arms to the ground and heaved...

Mia was standing up. She towered above us for once. Garet groaned. "Mia, could you help me up?"  
"Or me?" piped up Ivan.

"Or me?" I wondered.

Mia sighed. "You boys are so pathetic! Okay, Ivan, you're the lightest, you grab hold of my arms and then we'll try Isaac."

"Hey!" Garet protested.

Mia ignored him and grabbed Ivan. She pulled and lifted. Next the two of them walked over to me. I tried to make myself light and help out as they heaved me up. When I was standing again, I felt a little dizzy. Nevertheless, I walked over to Garet alone and pulled him up. Our journey had made my arms much stronger.

We continued on through the passage in silence. I was thinking about the lighthouses again. I was a little worried about the fact we were straying from our quest, but we did have a deal, Ivan did want to save Hammet, and we had promised him we'd do our best.

Venus Lighthouse. What would it be like? More complex then Mercury Lighthouse to be sure, since each clan built their own, and Venus was the element of Earth. Not that Mercury hadn't been hard in its own right...

"Another lucky medal!"

Ivan's excited shout woke me from my retrospection. I blinked several times to find the short Adept leaning over a chest. He leaned up again, his eyes brimming with joy.

After he stowed it away, we continued on, hopping this way and that. We crossed into a new room and I forced myself to pay attention. I realized that Ivan's teeth had stopped chattering and that Mia wasn't shivering. I didn't feel afraid, either. I shrugged. Maybe it was just our imagination. It was easy not to trust those feelings now that they were gone.

"Move!" I found myself shouting. I pushed over a stump into the murky water of the dead end, building a sort of stepping stone.

Finally, I could almost see daylight...


	51. K is for Kraden?

Disclaimer: I still do not own Golden Sun.

I blinked in the bright sunlight. Next to the dim, flickering torches of the cave, the sun was a welcome sight. I felt a tugging and found Garet looking at the map that he'd pulled out of my pack.

He examined it carefully. When Garet noticed me watching, he looked up and grinned. "Kalay's over that way. Want to stop by?"  
I shook my head. "We can't afford to lose any more time. In fact, we need to stop for lunch..."  
Mia was already setting out our blanket and the leftovers from the last night. We seated ourselves around the blanket.

I bit into a piece of bread and felt my strength returning. Garet was biting into a leg of something. Ivan was tasting a few vegetables, and Mia was sipping some water from her canteen. All of us looked happy to be out of the cave.

Suddenly, Garet groaned. "Just think...we have to go _back_ through!"

I made a face. "Oh, gray, ahorgofdahowah." I swallowed my bread. "I mean, oh, great, I forgot about that."

Ivan looked up. "How are we going to do that?"

Mia shrugged. "At least now we're prepared for it."

After we packed up the meager leftovers, we started back on our way. After about fifteen minutes, Garet complained, "I'm bored."  
"We all are, Garet," Mia replied patiently.

Ivan looked up from his book. I laughed. "Ivan isn't. He's got a book."

Garet glanced at the Jupiter Adept. "How do you carry all of those?"  
Ivan shrugged. "I don't. I trade them in at the bookseller in each town."  
"What are you reading now?" Mia asked, sounding curious.

"_Giants and Ghosts: Myths of Weyard_." Ivan read. "It's by...I can't make the name out...it starts with a 'K'...anyway, this part is talking about unicorns. The author seems to believe in all of the myths."

I laughed. "We've _met_ giants and ghosts, Ivan! We know they're real!"

"I know, but 'K' doesn't know that!" Ivan protested. "Listen..._Unicorns are fabulous beasts of the past, called fabled, but simply hidden. Unicorns wontedly stand approximately six feet, with a glistening pearly horn approximately six inches._ How does he know these measurements? _These ancient beasts are said to be beauteous companions to maidens._"

Garet yawned. "How do you read this stuff, Ivan?"

Ivan looked confused. "What do you mean?"  
"It's so...dry," I supplied.

"Oh. The whole book's like that." Ivan told us.

"It reminds me of Kraden..." Garet observed.

"Kraden..." Mia murmured. "Kraden...'K'..."

I gasped. "Does that mean..."

"Bzzz..."  
Not another bee! I thought unhappily. I turned to find not one, but _two_ gigantic bees. _Flint, Flint, Flint!_

"Bzz! Bzz!" buzzed the larger bee angrily. "Bzzzzzzzz!"

"Bzzz!" agreed the other. "Bzzz!"

"Take that!" Flint squeaked, flinging himself toward the bigger bee.

"Oh, my. Giant bees. Did you know that the giant bee can kill in one sting?"

"Not helping, Smog," Mia informed the Djinni, gritting her teeth. "Hail..."  
"I am the mighty warrior!" crowed Hail, after knocking out the smaller bee. "Fear me!"  
Garet rolled his eyes. "Your Djinn are weird."

"Bees! Bees?! You stung me once, when I was a tiny Djinni! Of course, you were a great deal smaller, too. Die!" Scorch shrieked, losing all control.

Ivan laughed. "And yours aren't?"

I felt a burning sensation on my foot. I looked down to find my boot surrounded by flames. Now, I am plenty brave. I climbed Mercury Lighthouse even though I'm afraid of heights. I fought Saturos. But I couldn't help but scream when the fire spread up to my tunic.

I dug in my pack and pulled out the blue gem. I waved it over the fire and rain poured down over me, dousing the flames. Unfortunately, my hair and the rest of me was now soaking wet. Garet laughed.

I glared at him. "It's not funny! You started that fire, didn't you?"  
Garet looked indignant. "It was Scorch!" The Adept pointed to the fuming Djinni, flames still shooting from her claws. I laughed.

"Ungh..."  
"Isaac, Garet, please come over here. Now!" Ivan called urgently.

I turned around and caught sight of Ivan battling a corpse. Sighing, I rushed over and chopped the monster's head off. It made a last groaning sound as it collapsed.

Ivan was panting. "Thanks."

I acknowledged his thanks with a nod of my head, then started off before any more monsters reached us.

After a few minutes, Ivan began reading aloud from his book again. He'd flipped through the pages until he found the giant bees we'd fought off. "_Giant Bees,_" he read. "_Giant bees are monstrous creatures. They thrive on attacking lone travelers. The single thing they fear is pyrotechnics._"  
"Pyro_what_ics?" Garet repeated, bewildered.

"Fire," Ivan explained in an off-hand tone.

"Then why didn't he just say so?" he wondered.

Ivan rolled his eyes and continued. "I'm going to look for those undead now..._Undead. Undead corpses devour living flesh. Garlic is a powerful deterrent for undead corpses._"

"Garlic?" Mia repeated, wrinkling her nose.

"Garlic," Ivan confirmed, squinting down at the book. "Let me look for that rat soldier..."  
I sighed. This was starting to get boring. We'd used most of the day and we still weren't to Lunpa yet! I glanced around. We hadn't even made it to Vault! At this rate we'd make it to Lunpa around midnight.

Ivan was still reading aloud and only Mia was paying attention, staring raptly at the book. Garet seemed even more bored than before, yawning every few minutes. I yawned myself. And then I caught sight of Lunpa.

Two guards patrolled the wall, fierce-looking armored soldiers carrying spears. They couldn't see us yet, or at least I hoped they couldn't. I called to the others as loudly as I dared.

"So what do we do?" wondered Mia. "Just storm in?"  
Garet shook his head, waking up. "No way! We'd hurt the villagers!"  
I nodded. "Garet's right. We can't risk the townsfolk's lives. We have to find another way."  
Ivan, putting his book down, spoke up. "I-I saw a cave, over that way, when I came here before...I went inside, but the way was blocked by a huge gate. I couldn't lift it...but I'm stronger now, and maybe all four of us could try?"

I nodded again. "That sounds good. Lead the way, Ivan."  
Nervously, the young Adept sneaked over to the steep hills surrounding Lunpa. He beckoned for us to follow. I snuck over there first, warily watching the soldiers. Mia came next, tiptoeing carefully and shushing Garet every few seconds. He clomped behind her.

Nevertheless, the soldiers never spotted us, or at least didn't show any sign that they had. Ivan entered the cave and I followed. Mia and Garet came in.

The cave was fairly bright with the afternoon sun shining in through the cracks. Ivan led us over to the gate he'd talked about. I reached my hand under and heaved. It didn't move.

Garet helped, sliding his large hands under and pulling. The gate barely shook.

Ivan and Mia slipped their hands under, trying desperately to move the gate, to no avail. I sighed, walking away. There had to be some way to solve this!

Mia pulled her hands out and dusted herself off, sneezing. Ivan sat on a rock, deep in concentration. Only Garet stayed next to the gate, looking at something.

I took a seat on a rock and bit my lip, plans running through my mind. Garet could burn it down...no, it was metal, and a powerful one at that. It would take a legion of Mars Adepts to melt that down. Ivan could float over it...but the gate reached too high, and the rest of us couldn't follow him. Maybe I could collapse the ceiling...

I heard a scraping noise, metal against stone. I slowly turned. I didn't believe my eyes. Miraculously, the gate had risen!

Garet was standing next to it, looking proud. A tall ice pillar stood next to him, holding up the immense weight of the obstacle. I rushed over to him. "Garet, you did it!"  
He grinned. "I found a little water puddle under it..."  
"Garet, that was brilliant!" Ivan exclaimed happily, dashing under the arch. I followed him, in time to hear Mia congratulate Garet.

The two of them caught up to us quickly. The exit to the cave didn't take long to reach, and soon we were in Lunpa.

I looked around. This happy, cheerful town was certainly not what I'd expected. A few children giggled and played, weaving around the hollowed-hill houses. A woman was out tending a garden of vegetables atop her hill. A man trotted out of the inn and exchanged a greeting with an elderly woman.

Sure, the walls around the town reminded me this was a fortress city, but you'd never guess the city was blocked off from the rest of Weyard. It was time to explore this village named Lunpa.


	52. Town of Thieves

Disclaimer: I don't own GS.

We entered the armory and sword shop. The armor dealer was lounging around, leaning on the wall. The sword-seller looked bored.

"Hello," I said politely, ruffling in my pack for the list the Tolbi dealer had given us. "We'd like two plate mails, six silver armlets, a vambrace, two blessed robes, and five silver helms, please."  
The dealer laughed. "Kid, the town is closed. I don't know and I don't care how you got in, but we're not selling anything til the village opens up again, got it?"

I stared at him, crestfallen. "But..."  
Mia cleared her throat, muttering, "Leave it to me," In a louder voice, the Mercury Adept continued, "Sir, we're on an errand for the armor dealer in Tolbi. I believe you know him, right?"

The dealer gave a start when she spoke. "He's my brother! The only way you could know that would be if he sent you...you do have the coins, right? He may be kin, but he's still gotta pay!"  
Ivan nodded, holding out the bag. The dealer grinned, weighing the gold.

"Yep, he sent you all right," he agreed. "Rawdon knows my prices to the coin. All right, I'll give them to you. But don't tell anybody, or they'll all want armor!"

Garet took the items gratefully, placing them carefully in his pack. We thanked them and went on.

Ivan was shifting from foot to foot in anticipation. "We need to rescue Master Hammet!"  
I shook my head. "The Psynergy won't work in broad daylight, Ivan. We need the cover of night. It'll be better, anyway. Let's stop by the herb shop-maybe it's open, at least. I'm running low, and I'm sure you three are too."  
We made our way over to the cavern that served as the herb shop. A red-haired girl no older than twelve greeted us at the counter.

"Welcome! We have just the gear you need!"

She held up a few of her wares. "Some warriors like you need herbs! And how about a few sacred feathers, huh? Ward the monsters off!"  
I exchanged a look with Garet and the others. Finally, I spoke up. "Ten herbs and four of those sacred feathers."  
The girl looked disappointed. "Sure you don't want any of my prized artifacts?"

I shrugged. "Let's have a look."

She led us to a shelf in the back. A few empty bottles waited to be filled, a few crystals shone, a small, empty jar, a-

A small, _not_ empty jar. It was full of Water of Life!

I swallowed. "Um, how much is that Water of Life?"

"This?" The girl held up the bottle. "Three thousand coins."  
I exchanged a look with Ivan, the best bargainer. He mouthed, "We only have two thousand." I nodded.

Garet's eyes lit up, watching the exchange. "You buy all kinds of things, too, right?"  
She nodded. "My father runs the weapon shop."  
"Then will you take...this?" Garet lifted my...our Colosso prize off his head gently.

I could almost see coins dancing in her eyes. "What rare stuff! How does two thousand, two hundred and fifty coins sound?"  
"Just perfect," Mia interjected. "Now, we'd like that Water of Life."

The girl dropped the currency in our hands and rushed off to the back. Ivan, meanwhile, counted out the coins.

"Who gets the Water of Life?" I wondered.

Mia shrugged. "I don't know, but it never hurts to have more. I've already got two, so one of you boys."

"Garet." I decided. "Is that okay?"

Garet nodded, taking the small jar, the herbs, and the feathers from the thankful girl. Ivan pushed the pile of coins over to the other side of the counter and we headed out.

Once outside again, squinting in the bright sunlight, we decided to gather as much information about Lunpa as possible from the local townfolk. To do that, we split up. I went near the gate; Mia to the east; Garet to the west; and Ivan investigated the fortress.

The woman I'd seen earlier tending her garden was now standing atop the armor shop. I approached her casually.

"Hi, ma'am." I greeted. "What do you think about Dodonpa?"

The woman sighed. "Donpa's too old to lead, so his men do whatever Dodonpa says. I think it's horrible. I miss the old days, when Lunpa was a town of _righteous_ thieves."

I nodded, trying to keep my voice deep. "I agree completely, ma'am."

A man walked up to me, speaking in a hushed voice, after I climbed down the steps. "I know you're an outsider. You're from Kalay, right?"

I was speechless. We had been caught!

But the man simply continued, "Is it true that Dodonpa kidnapped Hammet and extorted ransom for him?"

I found my voice. "Yes, it's true. Why?"

He shrugged. "I guess Dodonpa's men were telling the truth. They were hanging around, boasting about it. Don't worry, I won't tell on you. You're here to rescue Hammet, aren't you?"  
Was this man a Jupiter Adept? "Yes," I muttered.

The man nodded. "Your secret is safe with me." He scurried off.

An old woman unsteadily walked out of her house. "Hello, young man," she greeted when she spotted me. "Have a care-Dodonpa's men are everywhere, and they don't like the townsfolk to carry blades."  
I looked down at my sword, surprised. "Why?"  
"They want to keep us captive!" she proclaimed. "I miss the old days. Of course, I wasn't even born when Lunpa left with some man named Babi, but my father told me all about it. They were washed away in the great flood!"

I smiled. "Good day to you, ma'am." I made my way up to where Mia was waiting.

She smiled. "I think I may have found out a few important things, but we need to wait for Garet and Ivan to get here."  
As if on cue, Garet walked across town to join us. He looked from side to side. "I guess Ivan's still looking."  
"What if he's been caught?" I asked without thinking.

I caught alarm in their eyes. Hastily, I added, "Probably not, but if he doesn't come in five more minutes..."

Suddenly, I heard a noise. No louder than a leaf falling to the ground, but familiar. Ivan's footsteps. The young Jupiter Adept appeared in a moment, panting.

"I almost got caught," he panted, leaning against the wall.

I cleared my throat. "I'll start off. The townspeople I talked to hadn't been told about Hammet!"

Mia nodded. "I found the same sorts of results. Also, Donpa knows nothing of it."  
Garet nodded. "Yeah, me too."

"It's closely guarded, but there's enough room for us to slip through," Ivan reported. "When should we go?"

I glanced up at the darkening sky. "Soon. Let's eat at the inn, first. Maybe we can find out something else."

We crossed town again to reach the inn, a cozy place with a roaring fire in the fireplace. I huddled near it, pulling a stool near. The cook was lazily turning meat on the spit. He was chatting to the maid. "You know how I delivered meals to the fortress?"

That got my interest. I leaned in closer, disguising my eavesdropping as a need to be near the fire.

"I was blindfolded and guided along a cool path," the cook told her. "I walked for a while. I heard my footsteps echoing, so it must have been an underground path."

The maid looked shocked.

I leaned back and whispered to the others, "It's underground!"

Ivan nodded imperceptibly. The cook pulled the meat off the spit. "Suppertime!"

We gathered around, eating and talking in hushed voices.

"I think we should go after we eat," Ivan suggested.

I nodded. We finished quickly, paid the innkeeper, and left. We sneaked into a clearing. Six wooden pillars bore reddish-purple flags proudly. We hid behind them, breathing hard. Sneaking into the shadows, I pulled out Babi's ball. I concentrated, and we sneaked closer.

Going past the guards was easy. In the cover of night, they couldn't see us at all. Garet pushed open the door to the fortress...

And we entered.


	53. The Fortress

Disclaimer: Still don't own Golden Sun. Oh, well.

A/N: This part in the game took me a very long time! I couldn't stand leaving Hammet, but I had the hardest time!

We stayed in our little line, keeping our hands tightly linked so the Psynergy would hide all of us. Two bright torches made us visible, but there weren't any guards around to see.

We slipped back into the cover of darkness and I breathed a sigh of relief. Holding a finger to my lips, although I wasn't sure if the others could see me, I led the way past two heavily tattoed guards. They were talking to each other, casually, about what I didn't bother to try and hear. I almost touched the nearer one as I brushed by.

Finally, we had to walk into the torchlight. I hoped desperately that the guards wouldn't see me, and walked out of the shade. They didn't notice.

We slunk into the next room. A guard leaned against the wall, looking right at us. Of course, it was impossible for him to see us in the cloak of night. Behind the wall, we reentered the torchlight and walked through a doorway.

An old man was sitting on a barrel, humming tunelessly. Luckily, he didn't spot us. We backed out of the room hastily.

Back into the darkness.

_I'm afraid of the dark..._remarked Sap, scaring me so badly I tripped and fell. The guard turned his head, trying to find the source of the noise.

_Sap, what is it with you and scaring the wits out of me?_ I demanded angrily, pulling myself up and looking at the others. They were visible now, since Garet had lost hold of my hand. I grabbed his tightly again, and with my other hand fished out Babi's ball. I concentrated...

We were invisible in the dark once more, and we sneaked by the guard with no trouble. Even loud Garet's footsteps were soft.

The next room didn't seem to have a guard, so we started off to the south. Bad idea. A guard came trooping toward us, and, helpless, the light caught the edge of my toe. We were doomed.

"Who are you?" called the guard, his voice shaking slightly. He whistled, loud and clear. I stood frozen as the guards grabbed us and tossed us back outside.

"And stay out!" I heard the guard call.

I stood up and dusted myself off. I helped the others up and we became invisible again. We sneaked past the front guards with no problem, and the two tattoed guards had fallen asleep.

We made it back to the room we'd been caught in, but waited for the patrolling guard to pass in the other direction. When he did, I jerked Garet's hand and ran.

"Everyone all right?" I whispered.

The nearest guard shook. "Who's there!"

Garet leaned near to my ear. "We're all here."  
I nodded. The guard's torchlight blocked the next passage, so we stumbled up some stairs instead. Sap was still whimpering in my mind.

Rudely, I mentally shouted, _Shut up, Sap!_

His whimpering ceased quickly.

Guards quickly patrolled this corridor, and it was hard for all of us to pass at once. We managed it, though Ivan almost got seen by the last guard.

Straight ahead of us was a door, but we'd learned that unguarded doors just weren't worth it. The next door wasn't guarded, either, but we gave it a try.

Three guards, all wearing red bandannas, waited for us. We immediately walked into the torchlight just for entering the room.

"Who are you?" demanded a guard.

"They're here to get Hammet back!" cried another.

"Yeah!" agreed the last. "What bold rascals! Dodonpa will be livid if we lose our prized captive!"

"Yeah, we'll be in for it if we let these kids get away." agreed another.

During this discussion, we were slowly sliding out the door. The nearest one noticed that and glared at us.

"You're not going anywhere, kid!" he snarled. The three of them advanced on us, clearly ready to attack.

One lunged at me, but I dodged it. "Gaia!"

The guards yelped as a ton of rocks were dumped on them. Garet looked impressed. "I didn't know you could do that!"

I blinked. "I didn't either."

Garet shrugged and shot a massive fireball at them. "How can you not know?"  
I rolled my eyes. "You didn't use to be able to throw fireballs! I think it's just practice, that's all. Watch out!"  
A singed guard barely missed Garet.

Ivan shrugged. "If this is a battle of Psynergy..." He left the rest unspoken as a huge thunderstorm moved in atop the guards.

I cringed. The thunderstorm reminded me that we weren't on our way to saving Jenna. I pushed the thought from my mind as Mia called up an ice storm.

I felt a sharp pain and I saw one of the thieves looking at me triumphantly.

I gritted my teeth, bearing the pain. _Flint!_

A fast moving, yee-hahing, golden Djinni shot out, laughing insanely. The thief batted at Flint helplessly.

"Thieves?" muttered Scorch, jets of flame shooting out at the guards.

"Omigosh, thieves!" shrieked Squall. "Lunpa thieves! The famous righteous-"  
"Be quiet!" Ivan cried.

Squall complied, settling for zooming at one of the thieves. He froze, unable to move.

Mist yawned. "Wow, those fellows need to learn the values of beauty sleep!"

All three collapsed after those powerful attacks. Mia smiled. "Wish!"

My wound from the guard's blade healed before my eyes, and I felt the pain ease away. "Thanks, Mia."

We left the unconscious guards, linked hands, and used the cloak ball again. But we had no choice but to step out into the light and face the guard. His face contorted.

"The scoundrels searching for Hammet!"

I know all four of us _tried_ not to hurt him too badly, but if you'd heard some of the names he called us in battle..

"Simpkin," he jeered when Garet missed hitting him. That earned him a nice shower in ice from Mia.

"Idiot!" he called as he dodged Ivan's attack. Gust was quite angry.

"Fool!" he taunted when he rolled away from my attack. His reward was a fierce Ragnarok.

And he called us worse, too, some names I care not to mention. When he lay unconscious on the floor, I felt my heart stop pounding, and we continued through the door he'd blocked. Who I guessed to be old Donpa and a nurse were in there. Donpa was asleep. We backed out of the room, not wanting to wake the ruler of Lunpa.

We went through another door with another patrolling guard. I headed in the wrong direction the first time and almost got caught.

We emerged in a cell, the key beyond our reach. Another guard leaned against the wall, whistling.

"What do we do?" wailed Ivan almost silently.

I shrugged. "I've got no-wait a second! Yes, I do!" I dug in my pack frantically.

"What are you looking for?" Mia demanded, watching the guard carefully.

I finally found what I was looking for-Mother's prized beads. I strung them round my neck, feeling slightly ridiculous, and reached out mentally.

The invisible hand reached...reached...and grabbed the key. I caught it in my hand and started fumbling with the lock.

It finally unlocked, but the noise drew the guard over. It was time for another battle. Ivan, the nearest, attacked! His rapier flashed in the torchlight. I lunged, but he dodged it, laughing. His sword found Mia, but he also earned a whack in the head with her staff and a perhaps stronger than normal blow from Garet.

_Ramses!_

"Oh, by, a Ludba thief!" observed Fever.

Deadly arrows from Ivan's Atalanta hit the thief. He howled.

"Fear me, the mighty Hail!"

The guard finally wavered and fell. We walked down the stairs. And then down another flight of stairs.

Ivan rushed ahead and tried the door. "It's locked!"

Mia smiled. "Why not try over here? Whirlwind?"

Ivan looked at a pile of leaves and shrugged. "It's worth a try."  
Garet made a scoffing noise when they blew away harmlessly. "Next idea?"  
"Wait..." I muttered. "Reveal..."  
Ivan's eyes lit up. "Great idea! Reveal!" The Jupiter Adept reached out and touched something only he could see. The door swung open.

Inside, he dashed to the right. I struggled to keep up, finally giving up and trailing behind along with Garet and Mia. Ivan had disappeared when we reached the cave.

I broke into a run, and, reluctantly, so did the other two. We moved a box, and, after about fifteen minutes, we reached Lord Hammet.

The merchant was turned away from us, and when he heard us enter, he called, "Is it time to eat?"

"No! Master Hammet!" exclaimed Ivan excitedly.

Hammet turned around.

A look of awe appeared on Hammet's face. "Ivan, is that you?"

He nodded solemnly.

"These people, are they friends of yours?" Hammet ventured.

A slow smile crossed the Jupiter Adept's face. "Most definitely."

Hammet smiled too, a sort of lonely smile. "Then it would appear your journey has begun."

"Yes." answered Ivan simply. "I am a little late, but I have come to save you." The Adept's voice sounded awkward.

"You shouldn't have risked yourself, Ivan." scolded Hammet. "Tell me, how is Lady-"

"Hold it right there!"

A man's voice, sharp and cruel, rang out in the cell. A man who was unmistakably Dodonpa entered. His hair was dark, and he was sneering. His dark eyes were cold, and his mustache was set in an almost straight line, like his thin lips.

"Sorry to interrupt your teary little reunion!" he sneered.

I felt prickles of dislike crawl down my spine. This man was trouble.

"This must be your little rat, Ivan." spat Dodonpa. I opened my mouth to protest but he continued like the rest of us weren't even there. "You always did claim he'd rescue you! Look at him! He's just a child!"

Garet and Mia glared at him. Ivan shuffled his feet.

"But to think these children could get this far!"

He had gone too far. I was about to start when Garet interrupted. "Hey, if we're just kids, what does that make your pathetic thugs?" There was a challenge in my best friend's voice.

Ivan joined in. "What kind of scum takes ransom money and then doesn't free his hostage?"

Hammet gave a start. "So you've been extorting money from Layana!"

"Now that we've found Hammet, we're taking him back to Kalay!" I spoke up.

"And you can't stop us!" added Mia.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," Dodonpa sneered. "Hammet is what I like to call my little money tree."  
"You dirty scoundrel!" Garet spat.

"Name-calling won't help you!" Dodonpa smirked. "I'm not giving Hammet up!"  
"We can do more than call names," I protested, unable to keep my loathing for this man out of my voice.

He sneered. "Then why don't you prove it?" Dodonpa reached over and pulled an unseen lever.

The ground began shaking, and the back passage opened up. I wondered what horrors this evil man had stored in here.

"This little trap here marks the end of your good fortune!" declared Dodonpa. A monster, about as tall as Garet, slithered out. It was a hideously deformed thing, big, bulbous eyes and a drooling tongue. It's body was blue and yellow striped.

"I like to call him Toadonpa!" shrieked Dodonpa, doubling over in laughter.

I took a deep breath. I imagined a huge earthquake. Toadonpa moaned as he hit the ceiling repeatedly. Suddenly, the ground stopped shaking and a barrage of bolts shot out from Ivan's outstretched hand.

Next a volcano erupted under the creature, and ice rained down upon it. Toadonpa made a gagging noise and let out some putrid smelling vomit near Mia. She shrieked and jumped over, toppling Garet.

_Ragnarok!_

"Fireball!"

"What do I do again?"  
Ivan's voice was patient. "Kite, just give Isaac more time, all right?"  
"Okay..."

Everything and everyone froze. _Granite! Ground! Ragnarok!_

"Freeze!" Ground called.

"Protected!" declared Granite.

"Ungh..." moaned Toadonpa, pinned down by Ragnarok.

Time moved again.

"Ugh, don't spit on me!" cried Ember in disgust. "Okay, your Psynergy is restored."  
"A Toadonpa!" cried Squall excitedly. "It's an honor to beat you!"

"Stupid," muttered Sleet.

_Sap!_

"I'm scared of frogs!" whined Sap.

"It's a toad, not a frog," Scorch corrected. "I hate toads!"

"Unhand those virtuous, brave, chivalrous, wonderful, brave, kind, brave, intelligent, brave-"  
"Gust, more fighting, less talking!" called out Ivan.

Spritz ran laps around us. "Healed!"

_Flint!_

"Yee-hah!" shrieked Flint, flying at Toadonpa. He moaned.

"Achoo!" sneezed Fever, flames flickering near him.

"Procne!" bellowed Ivan. Toadonpa was lifted up in a huge whirlwind where he was electrocuted by energy rays.

"Neptune!" summoned Mia. Water poured over Toadonpa.

"Oh, you don't stand a chance," stated Smog, fluttering over to Toadonpa.

"Judgement!" I called.

The ground rippled. Rocks and energy rays shot at Toadonpa. But still he didn't fall.

Toadonpa heaved again and vomited all over Garet. He looked disgusted.

"Ha-ha!" called Hail.

"Tiamat!" shouted Garet. A dragon flew into the cave and blew hot flames over Toadonpa. Toadonpa wavered...

And the monster fell. We stood there, in a line. Hammet was watching, entranced. Where was Dodonpa, I wondered?

"Uhnn!" a voice moaned. "Get it off me!"

Something underneath the monster wriggled.

"He tried to pull a dirty trick on you!" explained Hammet. "When Dodonpa saw his monster was losing, he tried to stab you in the back!"

Dodonpa groaned. "Just a second longer..."

"You dirty snake!" Ivan spat.

"Dodonpa, you are rotten to the core!" scolded Mia.

"Sure, fine, just get this thing off me! I'm _sorry_!"

"Get this thing off of me?" I repeated, winking.

Ivan caught on. "Oh, I don't know. That thing looks _awfully_ heavy for us _children_ to lift."

Mia smiled. "Yes, you're right. Should we even try?"

Garet shook his head. I copied his gesture.

"I agree," she agreed angrily. I was surprised. Mia was usually pretty gentle, and I was sure she'd argue. "What do you think, Lord Hammet?"

The merchant was staring at Dodonpa struggling. He paused, deeply in thought. "I think we have to try at least."

So each of us grabbed a leg and heaved. We moved it off Dodonpa easily. He still struggled. "I can't get up!"

"Did you break your leg?" Mia asked, her healer nature finally reappearing.

"I should be able to stand after a bit," Dodonpa assured her.

"Thank goodness," breathed Ivan.

"What do you mean, 'thank goodness'?" demanded Garet. I shared his sentiments. "He just tried to kill us!"

Mia sighed. "He said he was sorry. We have to forgive him."  
For a moment I thought Garet would protest, but he gave in. "I guess you're right. But I still think he ought to be locked up like

he did to Hammet. What do you think, Isaac?"  
I tore my eyes off of Dodonpa, helpless. "Yes,"

"Just leave him here like this for awhile!" requested a voice.

Donpa was standing in the doorway weakly.

"Father!" exclaimed Dodonpa.

Donpa staggered nearer. "Dodonpa..." he murmured. And then his tone changed. "You pitiful wretch! I always told you that if you did evil to others...others will do evil to you. You must right all of the misdeeds you've done! I feel bad for spoiling you. Look at the trouble it has caused!"  
Dodonpa lifted his head. "See! It's all your fault that all this happened!" he accused.

"Yes, which is why this is going to hurt you more than it does me!" Donpa cried.

"You're not serious!" Dodonpa whined, sounding like a spoiled three-year-old.

"I most certainly am! You're going to spend some time here thinking about all you've done!" Donpa declared. He walked over to Hammet. "Dodonpa has caused you all sorts of trouble, hasn't he?"

"No, not at all!" lied Hammet gracefully.

Donpa smiled wisely. "I must apologize deeply for all of this."  
"You don't need to apologize!" protested Hammet, though his eyes said differently.

"Then you forgive me?"  
"Of course!" Hammet agreed.

Donpa smiled. "I am sorry about the trouble. You four-I have something that may help you. Please come over here."  
We did.

The old ruler of Lunpa produced a Mercury Djinni from his pocket. "This is Tonic."  
The Djinni looked frightened. "Are you sure you'll be okay without me? Are you sure _I'll_ be okay?"  
Donpa smiled "Yes, to both questions."  
Mia walked forward and took Tonic in her hands. "Do you want to join your friends now? I've got Fizz, and Sleet, Spritz, Mist, and Hail!"  
The Djinni brightened. "Fizz? I hope she's okay!" She disappeared.

"Also, please leave by the same means you came. Dodonpa's men will be on the lookout for you. I spread some rumors that brigands had snuck in to kidnap him, but failed and ran off. That way, now they won't let anyone down here to spot Dodonpa!" Donpa seemed delighted by his brilliance. "Plus, they have left to find the intruders!"

We said our goodbyes and headed out. "Retreat..."


	54. Bunza, His Wagon, and Jenna

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Golden Sun!

A/N: Lord Destoyer, that's just how Granite is...

The sky was dark, and I guessed it to be at least midnight. Holding a finger to my lips, hoping the others could see me in the moonlight, I stealthily sneaked away from the fortress and over to the cave. I waited there.

Mia and Garet reached the cave first, and then Ivan and Hammet. I entered the cave.

On this side of the gate, we found a button. Hammet pressed it and the gate went up. I tiptoed toward the exit.

Just as the five of us were almost to the exit, I caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my tired eyes. Garet paused, evidently seeing it, too.

"I think I saw someone just now," he muttered to Mia.

"Yes, I saw it, too," she replied, keeping her eyes on the place where the movement had been.

Ivan stopped. He slowly walked toward me, whispering, "Do you think Dodonpa's henchmen have found us?"  
I very slightly shook my head. "They're not the type for this sneaking around..."

"Just a moment!" Hammet said suddenly. The merchant craned his neck. "Is that you, Bunza?"

Straining my ears, I caught a slight gasp and a murmur. "That voice..."

A man, a little shorter than Mia, appeared from behind the pillar of rock. He had wide brown eyes and dark brown hair. Bunza also wore a surprised expression on his face. "Lord Hammet!"

Hammet held a finger to his mouth. "We'll tell you all about it. Isaac?"

I nodded, and begun the tale, starting with us meeting Ivan in Vault and ending to this moment. Bunza didn't speak during this.

Finally, Mia spoke up. "You sure did a good job finding this cave, Mr. Bunza." There was a hint of suspicion in the Mercury Adept's voice.

Hammet looked surprised, but didn't seem to catch the distrust. "Yes! Impressive work you did, Bunza!" he congratulated warmly.

Bunza shuffled his feet. "It was...pure coincidence," the man admitted. "I really didn't want to come to Lunpa because we knew the thieves had Lord Hammet imprisoned. But I recalled what Lord Hammet told me about being a successful merchant."

Mia raised her eyebrows. "_Really?_" she remarked.

"He told you that you should start trading here?" scoffed Garet with a glance at Hammet.

Bunza shook his head hastily. "No, I meant his more general words of wisdom; 'Merchants'..."

"'Merchants must not judge customers on their appearances," finished Hammet approvingly.

Bunza nodded. "'Do not avoid a place just because something unpleasant may happen,'" he quoted.

"'As long as customers await your goods, you must do everything in your power to sell them!'" Hammet added.

Bunza smiled.

"So you came to serve the villagers even though you despised Dodonpa?" I asked.

"Yes," the man confirmed.

"Fate put this opportunity before you..." Ivan murmured, sounding like Master Hama.

"But why'd you think a Kalay merchant would be let into _Lunpa_?" Garet persisted.

"I didn't," confessed Bunza. "And they didn't let me in, in fact. But you know what? That huge commotion about rogues breaking in? It all came together for me that the commotion was related to Lord Hammet! I had to find out what was going on!"

"And so you're on your way to Lunpa now?" I asked.

Mia laughed. "I bet you can't find a way to get that gate open from _this_ side..."

Bunza nodded. "But then all of a sudden it moved...you startled me...but I'm just glad Lord Hammet's in safety for now..."

"Why do you say it like that, Bunza?" Ivan demanded.

"Dodonpa's henchmen are combing the area." Bunza told us. "I saw a few back outside. Even if they aren't after Lord Hammet...if they find him..."

"They might capture Lord Hammet again!" Mia exclaimed. "Let's get out of here!"

"But we have to escape without being seen by Dodonpa's henchmen," I added.

Garet bit his lip. "Should we stay and fight? Isaac?"

I shook my head. "That would be foolhardy. There are so many of them...we're so tired..."

"Then what should we do?" wailed Hammet.

"I have a wagon nearby," spoke up Bunza.

"A wagon?" Mia repeated skeptically.

"That's right," agreed Bunza. "Let's all go back to Kalay in my wagon."

I raised an eyebrow. "Won't a wagon stand out?"

"Yes, if it were searched by Dodonpa's henchmen..." Ivan's voice trailed off.

"No need to worry," Bunza assured us. "I've been here awhile."

"Oh, I guess they've seen your wagon around, right?" Garet asked, piecing things together.

Bunza grinned. "That's right. They wouldn't suspect me in being involved!"

I shrugged. "Sounds fine to me. Garet? Ivan? Mia? Lord Hammet?"

Garet smiled. "Whatever you decide."

Mia nodded. "I agree with Garet."

"I believe it is safe," Ivan put in.

Hammet turned to Bunza. "Let us go, my friend."

"Lady Layana will be very pleased!" Ivan exclaimed happily.

A slow smile spread across the merchant's face. "I can't wait to see her..."

"Then let's set off!" Bunza decided.

So we all got into Bunza's wagon and we rode off. It was a rather small wagon, and I ended up squashed between Garet and Hammet. Mia was on Garet's other side, sitting on a barrel full of swords. Ivan was squished along the wall.

I gazed at the thick fabric and sighed. It had to be around two in the morning, and I definitely needed some rest. I leaned against the fabric and tried to sleep.

_"Isaac..."_

_The soft voice startled me. I blinked, and amber eyes blinked back. Jenna's face swam into view. The Mars Adept wore a huge smile on her face. "Isaac," she murmured again._

_I tried to sit up and she moved away. I noticed that I was back in Vale, in my own bed in my own house. I looked around, savoring every sensation. I felt Jenna smiling at me; I saw my trunk and my tunic and my sword. I felt the soft fabric of my bed and smelled Mother toasting fresh bread above the fire. I heard the roosters crowing and dogs scuffling. I felt _home.

_I got up eagerly. "Jenna!" I cried. "How did you get here? How did _I_ get here?"  
The auburn-haired girl simply smiled. "I don't know...Isaac..."_

_I grabbed her arm and rushed downstairs, ready to see Mother ready with toast and ready to run outside and see all of Vale and ready to knock on Garet's door and hear the scuffling and have Garet's little brother Aaron answer..ready to know I was home._

_"Isaac!" Jenna called again. "Isaac!"_

"Isaac, wake up!" Garet shouted again. I blinked, but instead of Jenna's amber eyes, it was Garet's dark brown ones that met mine. He shook me.

"I'm awake..." I murmured. "Why are you awake?"

Garet rolled his eyes. "Mia put Hail on standby."

"Ouch." I sat up and rubbed my bleary eyes. I saw Mia still sitting on the barrel, with Hail nestled in her hair, and Ivan ducking his head to leave the wagon. Hammet and Bunza were already gone. Dawn light flooded through the cloth. It was morning.

I almost cried when I realized I had been dreaming, that my joyful visions of Jenna and home were not real...I rubbed my eyes again, trying to keep from sobbing. I grunted instead, and, ducking my head, exited the wagon.

I squinted in the sunlight. Bunza and Hammet were speaking to each other. Ivan spoke up. "Where is _here_?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you about this entrance, Ivan?" Hammet asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

The young Jupiter Adept shook his head. "No, Master Hammet."

"This underground passage leads to Hammet Palace," Hammet explained.

Garet and Mia left the wagon, shielding their eyes with their hands.

"An underground passage?" Mia repeated. "What for?"

Hammet winked. "Just to be safe."

"I don't understand," muttered Garet, sounding half-asleep again. "Why bring the wagon in this way?"

"Because Dodonpa's henchmen may even be here in Kalay," intoned Bunza.

"Okay..." I muttered.

Hammet smiled brightly. "Well then, Bunza, would you please take them to the town's entrance?"

"What?" Ivan asked, clearly startled. "Why? We'll just go this way with you."

Hammet shook his head. "You have no reason to hide now, do you? But it would raise suspicions if three strangers and one of my servants mysteriously appeared _inside_ the palace, wouldn't it?"

I nodded. "That makes sense."

Hammet walked over to the gate and we reentered the wagon. It was a short, uneventful ride to Kalay. We exited the wagon, thanked Bunza, and entered Kalay.

We tried to act casual and not like we'd just snuck into Lunpa, penetrated their fortress, rescued a wealthy merchant, left, found an old friend of the merchant, and rode back to Kalay through the night in a covered wagon. Ivan waved and shouted hellos to the people he'd grown up with and all the while we kept walking towards the palace. We made our way in and to the throne room, hoping that Hammet had already entered.

Sure enough, Hammet and Lady Layana were standing next to each other, murmuring quiet things, when Hammet noticed us and cleared his throat, sounding embarrassed.

"So! It's Ivan and his companions, perfect timing!" he exclaimed.

Lady Layana smiled. "So, it's you four." Then she frowned. "I told you time and time again not to go to Lunpa but you went anyway." She spoke sharply, but I could tell she was grateful.

"Please, Layana, don't be so harsh on them," Hammet requested.

"Naturally, I'm happy they rescued you, but this was something Kalay should have handled alone," Lady Layana told him. "You had a more pressing quest at hand, no?"

I managed a weak smile; Lady Layana was reminding me of my dream. "Yes."

"Yes. You must recover the Elemental Stars," she lectured.

"Layana, you shouldn't..." Hammet protested.

Lady Layana gave him a death-glare almost as bad as Jenna's. I admit I took a couple of steps backward, almost falling into Garet.

"I-I had to rescue Lord Hammet..." Ivan faltered.

"What's done is done," the lady said tartly. "There is nothing more to be said."  
"We _all_ wanted to save Hammet," Garet pointed out.

Mia whispered angrily at him and Ivan protested, "It doesn't matter, Garet. I'm the one at fault! I made a mistake. We will leave immediiately on Saturos's trail!"

I glared at the Jupiter Adept. "If anyone is at fault, I am! _I'm_ supposed to be the leader, remember? _I_ made the decision!"

Lady Layana spoke sharply. "It does not matter who is at fault. You must leave immediately."

Ivan bit his lip. Then he turned to me. "We better be leaving."

"Ivan, is that really what you want?" Mia asked gently.

Ivan cringed but nodded.

I smiled. "Then, I guess it's time to be, um, going...Goodbye..."

"Wait," Hammet ordered. "Take your Shaman's Rod and go to Hesperia in the Western Sea."

I nodded. "Um...goodbye."  
"Goodbye," Ivan called.

Garet and Mia said goodbyes, too, and we left. Once we were a safe distance from the palace, I brought up our quest. "Should we leave now?"

Garet shrugged. "Sounds good to me...but Isaac, I see those bags under your eyes. You need some rest, and, to tell the truth, I could use some, too. Mia agrees with me, and...Ivan?"

Ivan started, the faraway look in his eye disappearing. "Oh...um...okay..."

Garet shrugged again and turned back to me. "Okay, so it's basically unanimous! Please?"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, fine, whatever. We'll go."

Garet sent me an odd look. "You are in an agreeable mood today, aren't you? Let's go!"

A/N: My brain is powered by reviews. Say it's good, I'll put out the next chapter that much faster. Ask me a question, I'll answer it. Give me some criticism, I'll try to improve. Flame me...

Well, I won't like it if you flame me, but at least you're saying _something_.


	55. The End of Rest

Disclaimer: I still do not own Golden Sun.

"Yes!" cheered Ivan, grabbing his prize out of the dragon's mouth.

I grinned. "What'd you get?"

"Oh, you got something?" Mia's voice carried over from her perch along the edge of the fountain. "What?"  
"Yeah, what'd you get, Ivan?" Garet asked, sitting on the opposite edge of the pool.

"Another rapier!" Ivan lovingly unsheathed the thin blade. "Who wants it?"  
"I'll take it!" Mia piped up. "That is, if Isaac or Garet doesn't want it."  
I shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I've got a good enough sword."  
Garet gestured to her. "Go on then, try it out."  
The healer carefully stood up, straightened her skirt, and took the blade from Ivan. She tested it, almost hitting Ivan with the thankfully sheathed rapier. "No, it's too heavy!"

Ivan shrugged and tossed a coin in. "Garet or Isaac then. Yes!" The dragon head extended, this time bearing a bag of coins. "Twenty coins!"

"Give it to Garet," I called, dipping my hand into the pool.

Mia shrugged and walked around the fountain to hand it to the Mars Adept. He swung it around a few times once Mia was safely away. "Heavy? Mt. Aleph, Mia, this is light as a feather!"

The Adept giggled. "It feels too heavy to me! Trust me, my staff is really light."

Garet rolled his eyes and belted on the rapier. "I guess I'll go and sell my old sword. Who wants to go with me?"  
I pulled my hand out of the soothing pool. "I will."

"Me too," Mia agreed.

Ivan shrugged. "I might as well go, also."

The man at the counter gave us a whopping five thousand, two hundred and fifty coins for Garet's sword. After that, we purchased a new staff for Mia since the rapier didn't work out. She hefted the "angelic ankh" in the air, trying out its speed. "I like it." she decided, satisfied. We made a few other purchases and left the shop.

I took a deep breath when we were all seated around the fountain again. I knew the others wouldn't like what I had to say-_I_ didn't even like what I was going to say-but it had to be said.

"Everyone-" I started.

"We need to continue with our mission. Saturos and Menardi could be at the top of the lighthouse right now. I had lots of fun resting, but it's time to get back to business." Garet laughed when he saw my expression.

"Am I really that predictable?" I asked, feeling hurt.

"Well, any idiot could tell that Jenna and the lighthouses are all you've been thinking about." Garet told me.

Mia laughed. "Any idiot, huh? Not just you?"  
Garet made a face and splashed some water at her. She squealed and splashed water at him, but he dodged it and so, unfortunately, it missed and hit Ivan instead, poised to throw his next coin.

The Jupiter Adept glared at her. "I just lost that coin! I could have gotten up to twenty coins!" In revenge, he threw some water at Mia.

The healer laughed again and dodged it, making it hit the unfortunate victim-me.

"Hey!" I shouted angrily, blinking the stinging water out of my eyes. "You watch where you splash that!" I collected some water in my hand, and, laughing, tossed it at Ivan.

I had a bad aim. I missed, and hit Garet instead. He spat, trying to get the water off his face. And so, blinded, he tossed water at me. It hit Mia.

The splashing conflict turned into a full-fledged water war. People were staring, but we didn't care. I was laughing so hard I was almost crying.

But slowly the splashing died down, and as soon as I could manage it without laughing, I continued in a more serious tone, "We really do need to get on with our mission."

Garet nodded. "Yeah, I know. We might as well go now."

I nodded, grabbed my pack, and we headed out of Tolbi toward Suhalla Gate. It was a moderately short, uneventful walk to the gate where Iodem was waiting. The dark-haired man looked stern as always. "I have been waiting for you, Isaac! We should go to Babi Lighthouse soon."  
I smiled regretfully. Iodem had been told about our rest, and we'd planned to meet him today. It was still morning, though, so it wasn't like he had been waiting too long. "I'm sorry for the delay, Iodem."

He nodded curtly. "At least you have come now. We must not tarry." The five of us crossed the bridge in silence. We followed the twisting road and I wondered when it would stop.

Then..."Monsters!" cried Mia, who was taking up the rear. I promptly turned to see two short, stocky, hideous goblin warriors. They were dressed in full armor, but I wished that they had helmets that would cover their ugly faces. Mia was already summoning down an ice storm.

I gently pushed Iodem back. "You keep out of the way. We're the warriors here, and I don't want you getting hurt." That said, I faced our opponents.

I heard the flapping of wings and a monstrously sized bat fluttered down next to them. I called up my faithful attack. _Ragnarok!_

That took care of the bat. Time for the warriors. "Unhand those brave and noble knights and their protected but surely chivalrous companion!" Gust cried.

"Goblin warriors? _Goblin warriors?_ Back in the time of the Golden Age, you murdered my sister!" Scorch got quiet for a moment. "Flame..." But then she charged at the warrior. Fire seared all over him. The goblin took a massive gasp...and fell.

The other goblin rapidly made an herb paste and applied it on his wounds. _Flint!_

"Goblin warriors have been known to kill even the greatest of-"

"Smog, just be quiet for once, okay?" I snarled.

"I'm ready-hey, where'd the enemy go?" Flint asked, confused.

I glanced at the fallen bodies of the warriors. "We beat them already."  
Flint slumped, which is hard to do with no shoulders or backbone. "What? Oh well, I'll go back on set."

After another half-hour, we were near to the town of Suhalla. It appeared to be relatively small and unimpressive. I figured we'd only make a brief stop here before heading on.

"I cannot say I am looking forward joyfully to this desert," remarked Iodem.

"Desert?!" I nearly jumped out of my skin. "_Desert?!_ Nobody ever said anything about another _desert!_"  
Garet, meanwhile was backing up slowly. "No, no, no, no..." he chanted.

Ivan looked like he was going to cry. Mia _did_ cry. "No! Not...another...desert..."

Iodem seemed rather confused by these responses. "It is only a mere expanse of sand, although prone to sandstorms. Why are you warriors so upset? You must have faced a desert before."

I raised my eyes to meet his unhappily. "That's just the problem. It was _horrible._ And not just the desert conditions, but the way the desert conditions made us act. I never want to see another desert as long as I live!"  
"I can't believe this!" Garet burst out. "How come Babi never told us about the desert?" I was so upset I didn't even bother to tell him it was Lord Babi.

"I cannot speak for _Lord_ Babi," Iodem said stiffly, regarding Garet coldly. Apparently he still hadn't gotten over Garet's remark about flattery.

"It can't be!" Ivan cried. "No!"

"Not another one!" Mia sobbed.

Iodem glared at my companions. "No matter how bad the conditions were in the desert, I would expect true warriors to hide their emotions."  
"Oh, yeah?" Garet challenged. "Have you ever been to the Lamakan Desert?"

"Well, no, but-"  
"Then you've got no right to talk about it that way. It was horrible! I hated every second we had to spend in that forsaken pile of sand!" Garet was shouting by now. "So just shut up!"  
There was a long, shocked silence after this statement. Finally, I said diplomatically, "Garet does have a point, but he could have put it _slightly_ more...elegantly. Should we continue on to Suhalla?"  
Iodem nodded curtly. "Very well." He shot one more glare at Garet then walked toward Suhalla.


	56. Irritating Iodem

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

Suhalla was a quiet, unimpressive little town. I gazed at my surroundings as we entered the town. A few people trailed around listlessly.

"Good afternoon," I greeted, trying to keep my hopes up about the upcoming desert.

"Welcome to Suhalla," a man replied tiredly. "I suppose you're from Tolbi?"  
"Yes." Iodem's authorative voice rang out clearly. I clenched my fists. The man had been asking _me_, not our irritating companion!

Garet sent me a sympathetic look. I tried to smile back.

"Why?" Iodem demanded. "Why do you need to know?"

The man shrugged. "No reason, except that there are a few Tolbi soldiers laying wounded in that house over there."

"Take us to them," he ordered.

I felt anger boil up in me. Iodem had no right to speak for me or my companions. It was one thing when I spoke for our battling decisions or when Mia or Ivan took over the bartering or when Garet talked about what the four of us needed. We _knew_ each other. We'd been through countless perils and joys together. But Iodem-he scarcely knew us. What right of it was his to speak for me? For Garet? For Ivan? For Mia?

Nevertheless, I gestured to my equally furious friends for us to follow him. Garet opened his mouth to protest and then thought the better of it. He simply gritted his teeth and trailed behind me.

When we entered the house, Iodem stepped away from our guide and dismissed him regally. A wave of anger swept over me, stronger than the last time.

"Iodem," croaked one of the two soldiers laying helplessly on meager cots.

The Tolbi man surveyed the two soldiers, hissing, "You soldiers were supposed to be heading for Babi Lighthouse!"

"What are you doing here, Iodem?" the other soldier asked, his voice barely audible.

Iodem stepped over to them. "Lord Babi ordered me to go to the lighthouse with Isaac here and his companions. You were...escorting Sheba to Lalivero, no?"

Sheba? Who on Weyard was _Sheba_?

"We've disgraced Tolbi," confessed the first soldier, weakly turning his head.

"What has happened to Sheba?" Iodem's voice rose to a shriek. "Where is Sheba?!"  
Whoever this Sheba person is, she must be pretty important, I observed.

"I don't know!" admitted the second soldier.

"When we awoke, we were here in these beds," confided the other.

I caught the look of fury on Iodem's face before he turned away. "If anything has happened to Sheba, what will become of the lighthouse?"

So Sheba had something to do with Babi Lighthouse, apparently. But how could a girl help them? Of course, she might not be a girl...she could be a woman, but from the way they spoke of her, I doubted it. Was she a princess?  
"Sheba was the sole reason Lalivero aided us in its construction!" Iodem wailed.

Sounds like a princess to me. I moved nearer. Garet whispered to me, "Who's this Sheba?"  
I shrugged. "I think she's a princess."

"We entrusted you with Sheba to speed up the construction," Iodem continued. "Was that a mistake?"

The first shuddered. "I know that, at the very least, Sheba wasn't in the sandstorm."  
"Is this true?!" Iodem demanded.

"Yes." the other one confirmed. "Sheba was entrusted to our care, so we shielded her from any risk."

_Definitely_ sounds like a princess.

"You acted properly then," Iodem admitted grudgingly. "But where is Sheba now?"

"Probably not far from the edge of the sandstorm that hit us." one of the soldiers muttered, his voice hoarse.

Iodem turned to my friends and me. I was standing at the edge of the carpet. Garet was next to me, frowning, and Mia was next to him, clearly itching to heal these wounded soldiers. Ivan was trailing behind, for some reason staring in the jar of water. "Isaac, we must go to the desert and find Sheba."

I nodded. "We'll leave immediately." Garet made a choking sound next to me. I ignored him.

One of the soldiers twitched. "If you're going to the desert, beware of the cyclone! At first, we couldn't avoid getting caught in the sandstorms. But there were others who were able to make it through the storms."  
_Saturos and Menardi!_ A shiver crept down my spine.

"Who knows how they got it, but they used water to stop the cyclones," he continued.

Alex must be with them, I figured. Their precious Mercury Adept. Apparently the same thought was running through Mia's mind, for she gave a little sob.

"The sandstorms are caused...by monsters."

Monsters? I heard a splashing sound. Ivan was sitting at the edge of the basin, looking shocked. Water was running down his face.

"Monsters?" I repeated.

"The others slayed the beasts..." croaked the first. "That's how they got through..."

"Who...who..._what_ are they?" Iodem stammered. I wasn't sure whether he was talking about Saturos and Menardi or the monsters.

"When the storms stopped, they would move ahead, but a new storm would always..." the soldier's voice trailed off.

"They had strange powers," added the other. "We had to bring barrels filled with water. But that exhausted us..."

"Thank you for your help," Iodem interrupted. "You have dispatched your duties with honor."  
"Um...can I heal them?" Mia asked tentatively.

"We have no time for that!" thundered Iodem, just as I was about to answer. "We must continue!"

Mia shrank back. Garet stiffened. I clenched my fists. Ivan was seething.

"I'm sorry-", "Don't yell at her!", "You evil-", "What right is it of yours-" the four of us started. I cut off, aware of the two Suhallans and the soldiers watching us with interest.

"Let's go," I commanded through gritted teeth. I started off.

Garet gave a sharp nod, and, with a glare at Iodem, followed me.

Ivan gave a sort of sniff and followed.

Mia, last of my companions to come, gave another little sob and raced to catch up. I didn't wait to see what Iodem would do. I weaved my way through the people and buildings of Suhalla resolutely. I stomped out and waited for my friends at the desert's edge.

Iodem caught up to us. For what seemed like a long time, nobody spoke.

Finally, I cleared my throat. "I guess we better go in."  
"Yeah," Garet agreed.

"You're right," Mia added.

"Let's go," said Ivan.

I took a deep breath...


	57. Another Desert!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Golden Sun.

...and walked from the grass onto the sand. There was an actual line, almost completely straight, although sand was scattered over the ground all the way to Suhalla. But here, this was real sand, a thick layer of it. This was the desert.

I made a face and took a few more steps. This desert wasn't as hot as the Lamakan, of course, since that was a Psynergetic heat, and, anyway, it was winter. Plus the sun was on its way to setting, so the temperature was considerably lessened. It was still incredibly hot, though. I knew sweat beads were going to form on my forehead.

Garet grinned when he entered. "This isn't so bad." he remarked.

"Easy for you to say," muttered Mia, who was sweating heavily already. "You're a Mars Adept."  
Ivan mopped his forehead. "It isn't as hot as the Lamakan, at least," he offered optimistically.

"Nothing could be as hot as the Lamakan," I murmured. "Now, which way should we go?"  
"I do not know," Iodem answered. I felt a small surge of anger. _I wasn't asking you!_

But I forced a smile. "Let's try, um, the left." I started out that way. Soon, we came to a narrow passage. I took one step in...and almost got caught up in the quickly formed sandstorm.

I gulped. "Uh-oh."  
"Water," mused Mia. "Isaac, what about that blue gem you have?"

"What blue gem?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Oh, yeah, the one you used on me once!" Garet exclaimed.

"When was that?" Ivan wondered.

"You mean this?" I pulled a small blue jewel out of my pack. "It's worth a try." I concentrated. Rain fell just over the sandstorm. The storm slowed...and a huge, ugly creature crawled out.

It resembled a very large lizard, about as tall as me. It stood on two legs but its arms nearly touched the ground. Its hands were oddly clawlike. It had a reddish-orange hood around its monstrous face and piercing blue eyes.

Ivan acted first, casting a Plasma. The bolts shot out of his hands and shocked the lizard.

I was next, swinging my blade. I severed a clawlike hand and danced back, ready. The monster let out a hiss and swatted me with its remaining hand.

"Heat Wave!" cried Garet, jets of flame shooting from his fingers like arrows from hundreds of nocked bows. These hit the hood and burned it off effectively.

Mia mumbled something unintelligible from this distance and ice flew from her fingers, finding bits of giant lizard to pierce. The creature shook itself and spoke.

"Warrrrd..." it growled, and a Psynergetic shield floated in front of it.

Iodem was watching this display in unabashed amazement. "Amazing..."

"Time to call in the Djinn," I muttered under my breath. _Time to fight, Flint._

The Djinni flew at an incredible speed towards the storm lizard. "Bet you can't get me!" he cried joyfully, feinting to get at the lizard. Finally, he flew right at the ice blue eyes and pierced one with his loved "blow that can cleave stone". The monster moaned and Flint zoomed back to me, excited.

Garet followed my example.

"Don't you try to hurt me!" shouted Scorch, flinging vicious fireballs at the lizard.

"My, my, a storm lizard," observed Smog. "We don't stand a chance." That said, he flew at the monster fiercely, his name following him.

"Lizards don't stand a chance against the mighty Hail!" No prizes for guessing who shouted that while throwing bits of ice at the monster.

After these four enthusiastic (with the possible exception of Smog) attacks, the lizard fell. Iodem stared for a moment, then actually applauded, clapping his hands happily. "Amazing!"

For the first time I actually felt pleased with Iodem.

"I most certainly don't fear for my life with such magnificent warriors traveling as my companions!" Iodem complimented.

I grinned. "Thanks."  
"Thanks," echoed Garet.

"Thank you," thanked Mia.

"Thanks," Ivan added.

We continued on. But we hadn't gone far when we met a dead end with only a chest. Iodem reached to open it but Garet stopped him. "Don't," the Mars Adept warned. "It could be a mimic."

"Beg pardon?" Iodem asked, confused.

"It's fine!" I called. "It's just an armlet." I handed the piece of armor to Mia. She fitted it on.

"Who leaves these things around, anyway?" wondered Garet.

"Supposedly the good faeries, according to my book," Ivan informed him.

"Faeries," Mia repeated thoughtfully. "What does a faerie look like?"

"Nobody knows," Ivan intoned. "They're supposed to be really shy."

"Surely you don't believe in such tales?" scoffed Iodem.

I grinned. "Iodem, we've been through an evil desert, met two talking wood spirits or something like that, seen a curse that turned a town into living trees, and seen almost every kind of monster you can imagine. We battled the kraken and fought a bunch of living statues. So I'd believe any faerie tale, even one literally about faeries."

"Don't forget the manticore!" added Ivan.

Iodem merely sniffed, and we turned back and took the other fork. Eventually, it, too, led to a sandstorm. Again I held up my gem and again rain poured upon it. The monster looked exactly the same and we defeated it without much trouble.

I pushed on with vigor even as the sky darkened to night. Soon we faced several passages, each sure to contain at least one sandstorm and monster. Garet collapsed on the ground.

"Isaac, we've got to stop!"

"No! We have to keep going!" I protested.

Mia sighed, sitting down on the sand next to Garet. "Isaac, calm down. We'll get there in plenty of time. Don't worry."  
"You were like this the last time we were going to a lighthouse," added Ivan.

"And with reason!" I argued. "It was lit!"

Iodem regarded us. "I do not know what this is about lighting lighthouses, but we must rest. It is a pity we do not have comfortable accomodations, but-"

I gave in. "Fine. We'll rest. I assume Babi sent provisions?"  
"You assume correctly. However, the water is hot by now-"  
I heard a steaming noise. Mia was standing over the basin of water, ice tumbling from her fingers. "Not anymore," she reported.

"And I am not sure if the soup is warm enough-"  
I heard a crackling noise. Garet was sitting near a flame and the container of soup. "It is," he called.

"I am sure we cannot eat with this horrible wind-"

The wind stopped blowing. Ivan was sitting casually with his hands held out. "You're right," he answered.

"And we need some meat."

I walked over to the nearest sandstorm, summoned up some water, and called down several Ragnaroks in succession. I walked back calmly with the lizard meat. "Anything else?" I asked with a grin on my face.

Iodem's dark eyes flicked from Mia and the water to Garet and the soup, and then to Ivan and the still air and me and the meat. He gulped. "I...forgot how powerful this Psynergy is."

I smiled, glad of the unnerving effect our powers clearly had on the Tolbi man. I was sure Iodem would no longer have a problem with _our_ authority. "Let's eat."

After our sumptious meal, it was time to fall asleep-or at least, for Iodem it was. The non-Adept actually snored almost as loudly as Garet as he slept. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Adept and Mia were chattering about something or the other. Ivan was, no surprise, reading a book. I laid down and tried to rest.

"-yeah, I wonder what's up with Felix-"

"-don't know. But-"  
"-too. He's really worried about her."  
I rolled over, hoping to drown out my friends. They were talking about me in that last bit I caught and I knew it. But instead I heard the unbearable noise of snoring. I rolled back over, hoping they'd stopped.

They hadn't, and now I could hear every word as clearly as if they were whispering it in my ear. They were no longer talking about me, but, worse, they were talking about Jenna. Apparently they hadn't exhausted the subject back in the last desert. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to listen to my Djinn, also chatting. But it only seemed to make it louder.

"Yeah, we've known Felix practically forever and it was only a matter of time before Jenna started tagging along with her older brother," Garet was telling her. "I think the first time was when we were...five?"  
Six, I mentally corrected. I remembered that day so clearly...

_It was my sixth birthday, and I was going to go over to Garet's house to celebrate. Felix was coming, too. He was older than both of us, but we were the closest boys in age to him, so he stayed with us most of the time. Felix had claimed that even if we got too "babyish" for him that he could play with Kay, who was almost exactly his age._

_I was very excited, counting down the days until my birthday. And when it came..._

_It was a sunny, beautiful day and Mother allowed me to walk alone to Garet's house instead of waiting for Felix or Kay, both eight, to stop by and escort me. There was a spring in my step as I walked up the familiar path to my very best friend's house. But when I reached the house I stopped in confusion._

_The other kids were waiting for me in the garden, as planned. There was Felix, Kay, Garet,...but who was that strange girl?_

_She looked younger than me by about a year and she was grinning broadly. Felix rolled his eyes-a common gesture for him even at age eight-and stepped towards me. _

_"This," he explained, "is my little sister, Jenna."_

_"Hi. Are you Isaac?" Jenna said this very quickly._

_"Um, yes," I answered. "How do you know?"  
"Felix told me, of course," she replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And since _he's_ Garet, then you have to be Isaac! Happy birthday, by the way."_

_Taken aback, I looked at her older brother. _

_"She begged Mother to come along." Felix informed me. "Jenna really wanted to meet you two."_

_"I think we'll have lots of fun," the little girl said with a straight face. _

And we did, I thought to myself, amused. We most definitely did, and have, and we will again after we save you...

...plus the rest of the world.


	58. Two Djinn and a Sandstorm

Disclaimer: If I owned Golden Sun, you could safely expect at least two more Golden Sun games, a TV show, movies, and this would be published as an official book. ;)

I woke up and found about an inch of sand on my face. Apparently Ivan's wind Psynergy hadn't lasted. I sneezed several times before sitting up and brushing myself off.

The Jupiter Adept was already awake, reading a book as always. He didn't even notice as I leaned against the wall. My movement woke Mia, however.

"Should we wake Garet and Iodem up?" she wondered. Iodem heaved himself up.

"There is no need to wake me up," he yawned.

"Earthquake, Whirlwind, or Ice?" I asked tiredly.

Mia yawned. "I'm still tired. Ivan?"  
Ivan sighed and put his book down. "I'm going."

Iodem watched with fascination as Garet was spun around rapidly in the air by, to him, nothing visible. I yawned. Dreams of the lighthouse had plagued me throughout the night, and I felt as though I had fought Saturos, Menardi _and_ Alex single-handed. I was _exhausted_, which didn't bode well for today.

"Food," grunted Garet. He was not a morning person.

"Yes," I agreed. I wasn't, either.

Mia smiled. She was. "I'm getting it ready." She spread out the blankets over the middle area and put all of our breakfast food in the middle of that. "Ivan, clearly those two aren't feeling good enough to do more than speak monosyllaballically, so will you chop the meat? Garet, I'm sorry, but you have to light a fire. Don't worry, just light a fire right _there_."  
"Wind?" Garet prompted.

"Oh, right." Ivan immediately stopped the blowing wind. "I can't stop it for long..."

"Okay." The fire was lit.

"Are you four like this all the time?" Iodem wanted to know.

"Every morning." I replied, managing two words.

"Ah."

"It's ready!" Mia chirped.

I dragged myself over to the blanket. "Yum," I commented brightly.

After I forced the food down, my head started to clear. I blinked several times. "Which way?"

"I dunno," Garet mumbled.

"None of us know," Mia said sensibly. "Unless...Ivan?"  
The Jupiter Adept blinked. "Um...what?"  
"Which way?" I repeated.

"How am I supposed to know?"  
"How do I know? Master Hama said you had that sight and stuff!" I pointed out.

"Oh. Well, I don't know. Sorry." Ivan smiled apologetically then drifted back to his thoughts.

"How about...right?" Iodem suggested at random.

"Sounds good." I nodded. "I guess we should go."

After Garet and I cleaned up breakfast, we headed down the right passage. After we got a few feet, we reached another sandstorm.

I pulled the gem out once more. The monster spun down from its regal seat at the top of the sandstorm as it disappeared.

"Ragnarok," I mumbled.

"Flare Storm," muttered Garet.

Ivan cast a huge Whirlwind, spinning the monster up in the air and then dropping it down again. Mia simply swung her "angelic ankh". The monster collapsed.

We continued on in silence. After another sandstorm lizard, Ivan spotted something interesting. "A huge, buried head! I wonder..."  
"Warriors? We have a problem. There is a gigantic sandstorm...just behind you."  
I turned slowly and was swept up in the sandstorm. I couldn't see the others. I pulled out my gem. Rain poured down. I spun down into the center, and Garet, Mia, and Ivan were spun there, too. A huge lizard, bigger than the others, waited there for us. It resembled the others, only at least twice as tall, lime green, and with dull purple eyes instead of bright blue.

_Quake Sphere!_ I thought suddenly. The ground beneath the lizard shook, bits of rock embedding themselves in the scaly skin.

Garet formed a fireball in his hands and tossed it at the lizard. The storm lizard's hood was burned painfully.

"Unhand these four wonderful knights, Sir Isaac, Sir Garet, Sir Ivan, and Lady-"  
"Gust!" Ivan snapped.

"Yes, Sir Ivan! I shall do battle!" Gust fluttered over to the lizard, fierce winds following her.

Ivan rolled his eyes.

"Storrrrrm Rrraay," growled the monster. Bolts shot from the sky, sparing me but striking the other three.

"I'm sleepy...sleepy...sleepy..." Mists filled the middle of the sandstorm as Mist spoke the hypnotic words. I squinted, trying to see if the lizard had been affected. It shook itself off, seemed hurt, but did not rest.

"Sonnnic Slllash." Huge wind waves pierced my skin. I'd never thought wind could hurt, but this did. Mia was badly injured, and the wind blew away the fog.

_Ground, we need you desperately._

Ground zoomed out, weaved around the lizard excitedly, and ran back. "Done!"

"Good," I told him absently. Ivan was meanwhile frantically opening a jar of the green liquid. He swallowed it hastily, and I saw his wounds Psynergetically heal.

Garet raced over to Mia. "Be okay, be okay!" he pleaded.

She opened her eyes. "I'm...fine. Go...fight."  
"Ember!" he called instead. The Djinni stomped out, waved an indifferent hand, and I felt my Psynergy return. Mia managed a weak smile.

"Ply Well..." The Mercury Adept stood up unsteadily.

"Storrrrrm Rrray..." the creature commanded again. This time a bolt hit me. I cringed. _Granite!_ Should have thought of him earlier, I scolded myself. The Djinni silently began his trek around us.

"Tiamat!" shouted Garet. The huge dragon beat her wings and blew jets of flame at the lizard.

"Fizz..." Mia waved a still feeble hand over Garet. Fizz trotted out, crying about healing Mars Adepts. The monster attempted a bite in Ivan's direction.

The Jupiter Adept dodged it. "Procne!"

"Judgement!" I bellowed. The ground rippled, tumbling the lizard. Next, a volcano erupted beneath it. Ivan poked it with his rapier. Mia murmured, "Neptune."

The monster batted at her with a huge claw. She cried out. Garet struck...and the monster fell.

We stood there for a moment, catching our breath. Finally, Ivan murmured, "Reveal." He grabbed our hands. "Look."  
A trail of glowing footprints, definitely not human, was revealed. We followed them, finally reaching a Mars Djinni. Another Djinni, Venus, popped out from behind the first.

"Flash, looks like we've got visitors. Big stupid Adepts, from the look of it," she reported.

Flash sighed. "We? Bane, would you stop acting like we're in this together?"  
"Two heads are better than one, even when they're as thick as yours," Bane retorted. "Anyway, wouldn't you rather us band together at least to take care of these Adepts?"

"Fine," grunted Flash. "I'll go attack them. If I look like I'm losing, you jump in, okay?"  
"Who died and made you supreme Djinni?" grumbled Bane. "Okay, fine."

"You know we can hear every word you're saying," I pointed out loudly. "Right?"

Bane glanced at us. "Looks like they've got a non-Adept too."

Iodem took a few steps back, watching the Djinn in fascination. "You can tell who is an Adept?"

"Of course," Bane replied. "Flash, are you going to wait around all day like Haze? Get moving! You're supposed to be attacking them, remember?"

Flash was eyeing us uneasily. "You're not the boss of me, Bane!"

"Maybe not, but surely you don't want to join those Adepts? I mean, you're so stubborn that I wouldn't think you'd give up on your loner thing right now," Bane shot back.

"True," considered Flash. "I'll go."  
With that, he aimed a fireball at Mia immediately. But Garet moved in front of her and took it instead. It didn't hurt the Mars Adept a bit. In fact, it seemed to make him stronger. "Why can't you just join us peacefully?" he reasoned.

"I don't want to join anyone!" snarled the Djinni.

"You watch what you're saying," called Bane, "or I won't come in to save you!"

"I don't need you to save me!" Flash shouted back.

"Fine then, join the Adepts!" she cried.

"I will!" Flash stomped over to Garet. "I Block damage to party with a firewall." That said, he disappeared.

Bane was seething. "That idiot Djinni! Fine, I'll join them too!" The Venus Djinni huffed her way over to me. "And _I_ Attack with nature's _venom_." That said, _she_ disappeared.

_Bane!_ cried Flint joyfully.

_Bane!_ echoed Ground.

_It's poison-tongue Bane!_ shrieked Quartz fondly.

_Hello, Bane,_ greeted Sap.

_Hi, Bane!_ shouted Granite.

_Hey, everyone. Guess I'm not the only one who joined these Adepts._

_Boo!_ Vine mentally shouted.

Bane laughed. _Hey, Vine. I knew you were here._

_No, you didn't._

_Yes, I did._

_How?  
You left your float-joy over there._ Bane replied dryly.

_Oh._

"Let's go," I said to the others. We made our way to the edge of the desert.

But Iodem stopped when we reached it. I turned. "Iodem...?"

"Sheba," he murmured. "We have seen no sign of her. Should we continue on?"

"Of course," I answered, my mind not on Sheba but on Jenna. "We must."  
"Very well. We shall leave the matter of Sheba to the guards at our gate." Abruptly, the Tolbi man turned again and walked out of the desert.

I followed, and the others followed me. I quickened my pace, although I felt like collapsing. The sooner we got to the lighthouse, the better.


	59. The Siren

Disclaimer: I still don't own Golden Sun.

A/N: N, thanks for the reviewing _and_ the criticism! I'll try to improve, as well as edit those chapters so that it won't be a problem for others.

I quickened my pace some more, speeding up to a run. The path twisted and turned. I could hear Garet panting, trying to keep up. I slowed as we started up some steps, giving the others time to catch up to me. I didn't say anything, however.

I raced up some more stairs, with Iodem on my tail. Finally, we reached the gate. Two soldiers lay on the ground, possibly unconscious.

"What is the meaning of this?!" demanded Iodem.

One soldier moaned in agony. "Is...that Iodem...?"

Iodem rushed over to the wounded soldier. "What has happened to the gate?"

"There was a strange group..." he murmured. "No...papers...they wanted to pass..."

The other soldier groaned. "Iodem..."  
"I'll help!" cried Mia immediately, running over to the first soldier. Garet stayed beside me, looking wary, as if Saturos and Menardi might jump out at us at any moment. Ivan was shivering uncontrollably.

"We tried to hold them back," explained the soldier Mia wasn't healing, "but they were too powerful...they had strange powers...we were no match for them..."

"It must have been those you are following!" exclaimed Iodem, reaching my earlier conclusion.

"Yes...it was Saturos...and Menardi...Felix...and...and..." Mia's voice halted, and she instead walked over to the second soldier.

"Alex," Garet helped gently.

I bit my lip. Felix had done this? Felix, the boy I'd known almost all my life? "We must get to Venus Lighthouse as soon as possible."

"Yes," croaked a soldier, finally standing up. "Go after them..."

I nodded. "We shall." I walked calmly past the soldier, breaking into a run once I was out of view. I heard Mia let out a little sob as she followed me with Garet.

Ivan came next, and then Iodem. We reached a cliff face. I started to run on when I heard this sound. "You shall come to me..." It was a woman's voice, soft and musical. I ignored it.

Ivan gasped and clapped his hands over his ears. He gestured for us to do the same. I did, although I wasn't sure why. But Garet and Mia were turned away. They didn't see.

I could hear the voice enticing me through my hands, but I didn't listen. Garet was slowly moving towards the cliff face. Mia was trying to stop him, saying something I couldn't hear and trying to grab him.

I pulled my hands off my ears. Ivan was frantically shaking his head. "Garet!" I shouted. "Stop!"  
The red-haired Adept paused for a moment, turning his head quizzically.

"You _shall_ come...You shall come to a place where all is warm, there is no fighting..." the lilting voice promised.

He started walking again. Garet was very near the cliff edge. Mia grabbed him firmly and glared at him with a severity that reminded me of Lady Layana and Jenna. "Garet," she said in her sweetest, most dangerous voice. "Look at me."  
He did.

"Who am I?" the Mercury Adept demanded.

"Mia," Garet mumbled.

"Okay. Put your hands over your ears." she commanded.

Garet did so.

The voice, angry, rose up to a screech. "You _shall_ come! You _shall!_"

The Mars Adept gasped in pain and pushed Mia back just as he toppled off the cliff face.

There was a shocked silence. I was frozen in place. Garet...

"Garet..." murmured Mia. Then the silence was broken. "Garet!" she wailed.

"Garet!" I called, afraid. "Garet!"

"Garet!" Ivan added his voice to the fray. "No! Garet!"  
"Garet!" Even Iodem, who barely knew him, called.

And then, one of the most wonderful noises. "I'm okay!" he called. "I'm okay."  
"Where are you?" Mia shrieked.

"Down here! I'll send up a flame!" I saw a few sparks appear above the cliff. "There's a Djinni down here! It cushioned my fall!"

"With a lot of injury to myself," added a voice that sounded like crackling ice. I guessed it was a Mercury Djinni.

"How do we get down?" Ivan shouted.

"I guess you'll have to fall down...don't worry, I think I can get down...there's a vine..." Garet's voice faded.

I started scrambling down the vine, Mia right behind me. "We're coming!"

Garet greeted us when we reached the bottom of the second vine. A Mercury Djinni was resting on his shoulder. "This is Dew,"

"Thank goodness you're alive," Mia breathed. "Thanks for...you know, pushing me back..."

"No problem. It was my fault that it happened, anyway...I should have been paying attention," the Mars Adept confessed, looking sheepish.

"You scared me for a minute there," I scolded.

Garet grinned. "Did I?"  
"You're alive!" exclaimed Ivan.

"What, did you think I was dead and still shouting?" Garet asked.

"I'll join you!" decided Dew.

"That was a siren," explained Ivan as Dew crawled over to Mia.

"I know," Garet snapped. "Kraden taught us that much. But when I heard it..."

"Where'd it go, anyway?" I wondered.

Garet shrugged. "I don't care as long as it's away from me. Hey-what's that? It's a cave!"

I blinked. "A cave? Let's go in."

Inside, it was rather gloomy, but we didn't have far to go before we emerged in the sunlight again. "Look at this!" cried Iodem, pointing to a large boat anchored near the peninsula we had emerged on. "What happened? It's Babi's ship...I think...here, take this." He handed me a large ball. "Try to use it."

"How?" I asked.

"Try to move the ship."  
I shrugged and concentrated. The boat didn't budge an inch.

Iodem looked confused. "Perhaps it is not yet time. Give me that ball." I handed it back to him, and we walked back through the cave. We climbed back up the vines without incident, and we continued on. After a few minutes, we reached another wounded soldier.

"Venus...Lighthouse..was attacked by strange...wanderers..." he croaked, then lay back and said no more. Mia felt his chest with her well-practiced hand.

"The soldier...he's dead..."

"Those evil people," I seethed.

We left the dead soldier and continued past, but the image of the uniformed man laying there, murdered by Saturos and Menardi...and Felix?

I felt more determined than ever, despite or even because of this. We continued on to Venus Lighthouse.

I could spot the huge purple lighthouse already as we made our way along the path. Another dead soldier lay there, who was already cold. Mia looked disgusted. "Alex..." she murmured.

"What?" demanded Garet. "We already knew he was a jerk...I'm sorry, Mia! No, please don't cry!"

"It's not you," she sobbed, tears running down her face. "It's...I've known Alex all my life. He's the closest thing I ever had to a best friend..." The Mercury Adept straightened. "It's just...how would you feel if Isaac or me started killing people?"  
"Angry," Garet answered. "But neither of you would ever..."

"That's just how I felt about Alex," Mia said firmly. "I-I'm sorry. Let's go on."

Another collapsed soldier blocked the path. I waited grimly while Mia checked him. "He's still alive!" she cried joyfully.

Ivan held a finger to his lips. "Shh...we don't want anyone to hear..."

"Ply," she murmured, teardrops falling on the soldier. He moaned. "I think he'll be okay."

I was shocked that the next one of the fallen was a scholar, robed in the pale blue of Tolbi's finest. I carefully turned him over, and Mia set to work. "He's alive," she announced quietly.

I nodded as Mia healed him. I had been half-afraid that the scholar was Kraden, that they'd felt he was no longer needed...

More scholars and soldiers littered the way, all still alive. They'd just come through here, apparently. And the doorway to Venus Lighthouse was wide open. We entered the towering Elemental Lighthouse.


End file.
